Although billionaire Elon Musk has found himself in various controversies, there is no doubt that he remains one of the most successful innovators in technology today. Aside from Tesla, his well-known electric car manufacturer, the businessman has an array of other ventures including Twitter and SpaceX.
What more, he’s continuously kept his name in news headlines with his creative and sometimes strange solutions to some of society’s biggest problems. Combining his wealth, intelligence, and desire to help people, Musk is somewhat like what a superhero in the vein of Iron Man would be like in real life.
The only problem is that his efforts don’t always bring the positive results he expects.
Aiding the Fight Against COVID-19
DogeDesigner/Twitter | Musk procured medical equipment like ventilators during the pandemic
Given the 48-year-old’s track record of finding solutions to relevant problems, the Tesla CEO also worked on much-needed ventilators and shipping hospitals the devices during the pandemic. The automaker later unveiled previews of a ventilator that used the same technology that the Model 3.
This was Musk’s answer to New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio's plea for help when the Big Apple had a notably high concentration of COVID-19 cases overwhelming its healthcare system.
Bid For Clean Drinking Water
Christian Marquardt/Getty Images | The billionaire has previously donated money towards helping Flint, Michigan fix its water crisis
While only time will tell whether Musk’s efforts will yield positive outcomes, he does have some success with his past endeavors. For example, the billionaire has previously donated money towards helping Flint, Michigan fix its water crisis a couple of years ago.
Aside from sending monetary aid through his foundation, Musk also shared his expert advice and suggested replacing the city’s pipes. He also announced that he would add filters to homes in Flint to address the pressing issue.
The businessman’s efforts extended until 2019, when his filtration systems were approved for testing in Flint schools.
Cave Rescue Submarine
TED Conference/Flickr | Rescuers managed to save the Thai boys without Musk’s submarine
In the end, though, Musk’s ‘superpowers’ can be a hit or a miss. One of his most infamous missteps is his ‘kid-size submarine’ solution to help save a group of Thai boys trapped in a flooded cave complex.
Together with his engineers, the innovator built the submarine with rocket parts. Their efforts proved futile, though, as it was found that the cave system had very narrow parts.
Thus, using the invention would prove to be impractical for the rescuers and the trapped boys. What's more, Musk was also accused of using the incident for a PR stunt.
