September 21, 2023

Sneak Peek: Elon Musk’s biographer on two years of shadowing the tech billionaire

00:01:23

Summary

The main topic of this podcast episode is Walter Isaacson's new biography on Elon Musk, which he discussed with Shamita. The episode focuses on Isaacson's two-year journey of shadowing the richest man in the world, gaining unprecedented access to Musk's personal and professional life.

Key points from the episode include:

Isaacson spent two years observing Musk, attending meetings, and witnessing key events such as SpaceX rocket test launches.
Isaacson's approach to writing the biography was unique, as he did not conduct traditional interviews and did not allow Musk to review the book in advance.
Isaacson's previous biographies have focused on innovators such as Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein, and Jennifer Doudna, and his approach to writing about Musk is consistent with this theme.

Participants in the episode include:

Shamita: The host of the podcast, who interviewed Walter Isaacson about his biography on Elon Musk.
Walter Isaacson: The author of the biography, who spent two years shadowing Elon Musk and gaining intimate access to his personal and professional life.

Takeaways from the episode include:

Isaacson's biography provides a unique and intimate look at Elon Musk's life and career.
Isaacson's approach to writing the biography was unconventional, but allowed him to gain a deeper understanding of Musk's thoughts and motivations.

Show Notes

Walter Isaacson, author of the new biography Elon Musk, spent two years following the world’s richest man in an effort to understand what drives him. Isaacson joins Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to explain what he learned about Musk’s reach and power, how his childhood shaped him, and why he has weekly meetings about colonizing Mars. Listen to the full interview on Apple Podcasts.

Transcript

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Shumita Basu: Hey there, it's Shamita here, letting you know that over on Apple News in Conversation this week, I talked to Walter Isaacson. He just came out with a new biography on Elon Musk.

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Walter Isaacson: [pauses] He has zigzagged from the factory floor at Tesla to the desert for SpaceX rocket test launches to weekly meetings about a future city on Mars.

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Shumita Basu: I said, if I do this book, I don't want to do it just based on a few interviews. I want to be by your side for two years. I just want to see you in operation the way no biographer has ever been as up close or intimate to anybody else.

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Walter Isaacson: And rule number two was... You don't get to read the book in advance. You have no control over it.

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Shumita Basu: I was somewhat surprised when he said, sure, let's go.

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Walter Isaacson: The book, called Elon Musk, is out now. It falls in line with Isaacson's biographies of other innovators, people like Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein, and Jennifer Doudna, who pioneered CRISPR genetic editing technology.

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Shumita Basu: To hear my full conversation with Walter Isaacson about what he learned about Elon Musk, having spent so much time examining his personal and professional life up close, and what to make of his influence, his reach, his power, check out Apple News in Conversation in the podcast app.