Elon Musk’s biographer speaks about how the billionaire sometimes goes into ‘demon mode’

In a recent interview on Twitter spaces, Walter Isaacson, the biographer of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, discussed Musk’s occasional entry into a state he calls “demon mode.” According to Isaacson, this mode makes Musk highly productive and a tough leader but also has a “dark” aspect. The biographer talked about Musk’s complex life and his upcoming biography during the interview.

Isaacson mentioned that dealing with intelligent and innovative individuals often involves encountering a “dark streak.” He has previously written biographies of innovators such as Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein, and Leonardo da Vinci. In Musk’s case, Isaacson attributed this dark streak to a difficult and violent childhood, particularly his challenging relationship with his father.

The term “demon mode” was reportedly coined by Grimes, Musk’s former girlfriend, who described it as an intense state that could be unpleasant to be around but highly productive. Isaacson discussed the lack of empathy that many brilliant and successful people, including Musk and Jobs, possess, allowing them to pursue larger missions and become tough leaders.

Isaacson observed that Musk often exhibited a “maniacal sense of urgency,” which could intimidate his employees. When someone failed to match his urgency, Musk would enter a dark state and intensely criticize them. This behavior was more common when Musk had recently taken over Twitter. Isaacson found these moments uncomfortable and described Musk as brutal.

The biographer noted that Musk’s childhood and his relationship with his father had a significant impact on his personality and risk-taking behavior. Isaacson characterized Musk as almost addicted to risk, which he believed had a dark quality due to America’s decline in risk-taking and manufacturing.

Isaacson’s book, scheduled for release in September, aims to explore the complexity of Musk’s character, including his dark streak, and his groundbreaking work with Tesla and SpaceX. The biographer portrayed Musk as someone who is primarily focused on achieving his goals, with both light and dark aspects to his personality.

According to media reports, Isaacson stated that his biography attempts to capture the entirety of Musk’s character and accomplishments, emphasizing the interplay between the various strands of his personality.