"Elon Musk is not an engineer." John Carmack: Elon is definitely an engineer. He is deeply involved with technical decisions at SpaceX and Tesla. He doesn’t write code or do CAD today, but he is perfectly capable of doing so. Robert Zubrin: When I met Elon it was apparent to me that although he had a scientific mind and he understood scientific principles, he did not know anything about rockets. Nothing. That was in 2001, by 2007 he knew everything about rockets – he really knew everything, in detail. You have to put some serious study in to know as much about rockets as he knows now. This doesn't come just from hanging out with people. Eric Berger: Elon is the chief engineer in name and reality. Josh Boehm: Elon is both the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer of SpaceX, so of course he does more than just some very technical work. He is integrally involved in the actual design and engineering of the rocket, and at least touches every other aspect of the business. Elon is an engineer at heart, and that’s where and how he works best. Garrett Reisman: He’s obviously skilled at all different functions, but certainly what really drives him and where his passion really is, is his role as Chief Engineer. That’s the part of the job that really plays to his strengths. Tom Mueller: Elon and the Propulsion department are leading development of the SpaceX engines, particularly Raptor. Kevin Watson: Elon is brilliant. He’s involved in just about everything. He understands everything. If he asks you a question, you learn very quickly not to go give him a gut reaction. He wants answers that get down to the fundamental laws of physics. One thing he understands really well is the physics of the rockets. He understands that like nobody else. The stuff I have seen him do in his head is crazy. He can get in discussions about flying a satellite and whether we can make the right orbit and deliver Dragon at the same time and solve all these equations in real time. It’s amazing to watch the amount of knowledge he has accumulated over the years.

Nov 8, 2025 · 3:45 PM UTC

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To be fair, she's right: Elon isn't an engineer, he's the Chief Engineer.
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Replying to @yatharthmaan
Honestly, why are they so scared to call someone an engineer? I think they are afraid that by admitting he is one, it will give him more credibility. Plus, being an engineer is what you do, not what a piece of paper says you studied in school. Case in point, I am a "Lead Engineer" but hold no engineering degree. I work with people that have engineering degrees, and some work for me, and I'm no Elon Musk. It's pretty common.
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SpaceX has a lot of army veterans that didn't go to any college but still works as an engineer.
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Replying to @yatharthmaan
Definitely not an engineer.
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Cosplaying as an engineer. 🤭
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Replying to @yatharthmaan
He might not do the hands on work.. But when they give him the options of what heatshield material to use for instance he knows everything about it so he can make the right decision. And maybe comes up with his own ideas like the chopsticks/arms to lift/grab a booster.
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He can even do hands-on work.
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Replying to @yatharthmaan
@AOC is not a politician, she's a con artist and a bar tender.
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She's not even a good bartender.
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Replying to @yatharthmaan
Crazy that people who work for him butter him up Name one significant engineering breakthrough or achievement that Elon personally developed
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John Carmack, Robert Zubrin, and Eric Berger never worked for Elon, and the other ones that did, they all made these statements after leaving SpaceX.
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Replying to @yatharthmaan
I got one question ??? Where are the books he may have studied ??? Where these books written and available ??? It seems much like the knowledge he has was NEVER written !!! SO WHERE did this knowledge come from IF it was never written one must ask ??? WHY isn’t NASA able to do all he does after decades of exploration ??? You don’t just go from writing code and programs to an engineer over night !!! We will find out all has a more sinister Origen !!! Famous last words : TRUST NO ONE, NOT EVEN YOUR SELF !!! A message right there !!!
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Replying to @yatharthmaan
He's a talented engineer, project manager and an absolute top tier hypeman and fund raiser. However, when it comes to social issues and assessing data he's being presented with online, he seems to be very sub average. Gets fooled over and over by extremist narratives that are easily disproven with some basic investigation.
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Replying to @yatharthmaan
def. one of her more controversial statement, I think she will regret saying that for a while, but on the other hand people have to stop acting like elon is the greatest engineer. He was once an engineer, he might have been good, but today he's a different kind of person, he's more like a great manager who knows how to inspire the right people and get the most out of people (with debatable methods). It's undeniable that he knows a lot about the meta of running a complex and technical company. On the other hand, it doesn't make him a good person, or a competent person in every single domain
Replying to @yatharthmaan
I don't think there's a real, working engineer on the planet who doubts that Elon Musk is one of us.
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Replying to @yatharthmaan
A con man that created an entire industry of battery electric vehicles (17 million in 2024) and a company that sells 2 million battery electric cars a year. A con man that makes rockets that land. A con man that put more satellites in orbit than the rest of the humanity combined in all it's history. A con man that brought interned to the most remote regions of earth. A con man that put microchip implants in humans with total body paralysis allowing them to control computer devices. A con man that created both Open AI and xAI. The AI that today's world takes for granted like Chat GPT was initially created by Elon. I don't think I can find a work in English to describe how profoundly idiotic and retarded this woman is.
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Replying to @yatharthmaan
While I generally support AOC on most of her agenda, the fact that she seriously mis-understand Elon Trump will be a serious concern of her judgement. The man is brilliant and committed to the key agendas of Tesla and SpaceX. To mis-understand this is to mis-understand the future.
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Replying to @yatharthmaan
Always funny if politicians (basically the most unproductive and useless members of society) complain about productive people who actually do something for society and produce stuff people want. Unlike politicians people in the private sector are only payed if they perform. God how I despise such politicians.
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Replying to @yatharthmaan
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has built her profile largely on confrontation, not construction. In leadership, vision matters more than visibility. So far, she has not presented a tangible plan to improve economic opportunity, education, or innovation in the communities she claims to represent. Societies don’t advance through outrage; they advance through ideas, discipline, and hard work. That’s why builders — entrepreneurs, engineers, and innovators — should be encouraged, not vilified. The challenge isn’t wealth creation. The challenge is the lack of leaders willing to convert passion into progress.
Replying to @yatharthmaan
Retention of knowledge is almost as powerful as the ability to process knowledge quickly. In Elons case he can do both extremely well and it makes him exceptional.
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Replying to @yatharthmaan
Steve Jobs was neither an engineer nor a scientist. But he had a friend who could write code. He was a self-taught designer and a manager. Enjoy your Apple iPhone.
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Replying to @yatharthmaan
“Engineer” isn’t a credential — it’s a way of thinking. Learning fast, questioning fundamentals, and driving systems to reality. Elon didn’t start as an engineer — he became one by doing the work.
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Replying to @yatharthmaan
So she is wrong about the scientist and engineer... She is right about the billionaire con man.
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Replying to @yatharthmaan
Elon is much more than an engineer and a scientist. He is the prophet of the XXI century. And AOC is a woman who lost an excellent occasion to shut up.
Replying to @yatharthmaan
We all know AOC would give blondes a bad name. My chiwhinnie Spud is smarter.
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Replying to @yatharthmaan
I have been studying neuroscience for 20 plus years. I have no degree but what the hell.. I am a neuro scientist
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Oh dear! Did Elon lose the support of the bartender lobby?
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Replying to @yatharthmaan
And she's realizing now that she got a little older and put on 30 pounds nobody cares what she says anymore.
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