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Seth Abramson Critiques Elon Musk’s Intellectual Credibility
In a series of provocative posts shared on X, attorney, journalist, and Elon Musk biographer Seth Abramson sharply criticized Musk and his ardent supporters for touting the billionaire’s IQ as a testament to his intelligence. In one post, Abramson boldly stated, "You are in a cult,” before emphasizing that Musk has achieved “zero personal intellectual accomplishments.”
“As someone who has studied Elon Musk’s life for my biography, I would estimate his IQ to be between 100 and 110,” Abramson tweeted on Thursday afternoon. "There is absolutely no evidence in his background to suggest a score higher than that. I want to stress this clearly: there is zero proof from Musk’s life history indicating an IQ exceeding 110."
After stepping away from the platform, citing its lack of value, Abramson returned the following morning to find his initial comments had gained traction among certain online communities. He remarked on the culture of celebrity, reflecting on how perceptions of historical figures like Musk might be distorted.
Abramson continued his critique by outlining instances where Musk’s business endeavors fell short. He recounted that Musk "was sued for allegedly stealing the concept behind Zip2, and was dismissed once investors became involved," noting that he nearly jeopardized PayPal after merging with it, being removed shortly thereafter. Additionally, he asserted that Musk’s initial investment in Tesla came during a period of distress for the company, claiming he rapidly led it into decline.
According to reports from The Panel Online, Musk co-founded Zip2 with his brother, labeling it a "digital Yellow Pages." In an attempt to attract investors, Musk allegedly fabricated an elaborate façade around the product, which ultimately backfired, as investors only contributed funds after Musk agreed to step aside for someone with more experience. Furthermore, the software that Musk had developed reportedly required substantial rewrites by more skilled programmers due to its initial poor quality.
Musk returned as CEO and reaped financial rewards when Zip2 was sold to Compaq in 1999. He utilized his $22 million share to invest in X.com, an online bank that later merged with PayPal. Although he ascended to CEO after the merger in April 2000, he was ousted six months later.
Abramson noted that SpaceX stands as Musk’s sole "truly innovative and successful venture," crediting some of its achievements to President Obama’s support, especially after Musk faced skepticism during his attempts to engage with Russian officials.
Moreover, Abramson pointed out that Musk’s Boring Company has produced little beyond an illegal flamethrower, causing legal troubles for some, and stated that Neuralink faces significant ethical scrutiny, with Musk being uninvolved in its scientific development.
He claimed, “Every statement Musk made regarding Twitter/X is simply untrue,” asserting that his mismanagement of the platform would be a case study in business schools for centuries to come.
Abramson further elaborated, "It’s easy to find instances where Musk misled the public into believing he has made significant contributions to robotics. Simply spending money or buying influence doesn’t equate to intelligence."
He urged readers to reconsider the American tendency to equate wealth with intellect, suggesting that most of the world would find the conversation about Musk’s supposed genius absurd. Abramson reiterated that there is no documented evidence of Musk’s intellectual successes.
Finally, he clarified, “I don’t consider IQ to be a meaningful metric. I brought it up because it’s often cited by supporters as so-called proof of Musk’s intelligence—despite the absence of any actual IQ test results associated with him.”
For a thorough read of Abramson’s full commentary, you can check it out on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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For additional context, explore the article detailing Abramson’s thoughts on Musk’s lack of demonstrable intellectual achievements, published first on TheWrap.
