Thanks for adding to the discussion and bringing different perspectives.

I don't personally care that much about token gestures such as flowers or cup cakes, but I do care about how people treat each other. The way Elon Musk treated his wife, assistant and many others in his life greately diminish my respect for Elon Musk as a person. I still respect Elon Musk as a rocket pioneer, EV pioneer and someone thinking new in how to organize and run modern tech companies.

Part of my hope for this story was spur people to give credit where credit is due. Give Musk credit for what he has done. Don't try to dimish it simply because he is an asshole.

Yet, I don't see accomplishments as a license to be an asshole. I don't think being an achiever gives anyone a license to be an asshole. That is perhaps a part I might want to criticize a bit of what you write.

I don't think you should give yourself permission to act nasty because you achieved something great. Now, I don't know you personally or what you do so maybe you don't. I am just trying to interpret what you write. Maybe I got the wrong idea.

I certainly don't think you need to be superficially friendly, bring cupcakes and do high-fives with people. To me it is more about showing people respect and not being nasty. Don't do like Elon Musk and throw somebody under the buss because they are no longer of use to you. Loyality and friendhips have to count for something.

Trust and loyality are important assets in any society and disloyal behavior by a leaders can be very corrosive.

I have no personal interest in having Elon Musk on my birth day party. My interest in his behavior is in what he inspires in others. Visible people matter a lot. Somebody like Donald Trump inspired a lot of toxic behavior in others. Then you had people like John F. Kennedy who inspired many to be better versions of themselvs and do something good in this world. Elon Musk has certainly been inspiration in many regards. But he is a poor source of inspiration with regard to how you should treat other people.

I am not sure consider him a good role model as a father e.g. He is rarely present in the lives of his children, switch wives very often. Fathers children all over the place. The way he has treated his wife is not something a child should learn to model.

Of course Elon Musk has Aspberger, that gives him a handicap. But lets acknowledge that. There are far too many people who uncritically embrace him, just like there are people who got nothing but criticism.

Learn from how he organizes companies, and use his interpersonal relationships as a cautionary tale and not a source of inspiration.