On December 9th, Time magazine announced the shortlist for its Person of the Year. The list included many notable figures, from politicians like Kamala Harris to entertainers like Joe Rogan. One of the other names mentioned is Elon Musk, and he has a lot to say.
Time justifies his position in the shortlist, naming him as an “innovative disruptor.” While Elon purchased X, formerly Twitter, in 2023, Time recognizes 2024 as the year he stepped into a new role – political commentator. It highlights his support of President-elect Donald Trump throughout his campaign. Trump has even named Elon as a co-lead in the new Department of Government Efficiency.
Elon Musk Doesn’t Want To Be Person of the Year
Musk fans were quick to voice their choice for Person Of The Year. One user shared an image of Elon as Person of the Year from 2021, saying, “In the correct timeline this should be the result.” Musk simply responds, “I don’t want to be on any magazine covers.”
He replies to another tweet prompting users to share whether or not they think he deserves Person of the Year, saying, “I super don’t want this”. It’s clear that the billionaire isn’t interested in this title.
Musk is a known skeptic of mainstream media. His recent posts on X have promoted his site as the voice of authority on news. “You are the media now” he shared in response to an X user boasting about having more on the platform impressions than Forbes. Musk’s dislike of mainstream media could be part of his hesitance to be Person of the Year for Times.
Conservative politician Ted Cruz chimed in with his opinion on the shortlist. “Anyone other than Trump would be absurd,” he tweeted, to which Elon replied, “True.” His allegiance to Trump is another driving factor behind his dismissal of being Time Person of the Year. But despite his preferences, Time has complete control over who it picks to be Person of the Year.
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Elon Was Person Of The Year in 2021
Musk was Person of the Year for Time in 2021. The magazine described him as a “humanist” with big out-of-this-world dreams. At the time of his interview with Time, his next big goal was to build a self-sustaining city on Mars. His company, SpaceX, was making much-needed progress after a stagnant period of space exploration.
The Musk of 2021, who had just voted in President Joe Biden and was backed by rich investors to help innovate spacecraft and motor vehicles, feels far away from the person we see today. Now, after going all in on X, conservative politics, and barely working Tesla robots, his Time interview would be very different.
Time Person of the Year is not someone the magazine necessarily endorses. Instead, it picks its Person of the Year based on impact. The honor goes to someone who affected the news and our lives “for good or ill.” So, even if Elon gets his wish and Trump wins Person of the Year, it may not necessarily be for positive reasons.
The official choice for Person of the Year is revealed on December 12th.
Published: Dec 10, 2024 11:59 am