With the smartest people flocking to Musk in every direction, Musk has the power to change things. SpaceX is looking to cut the cost of going to space by 98% by creating a reusable rocket that can land for a few hours only having to refuel before taking off again. This would be the first rocket of its kind and would completely revolutionize space programs, enabling quick, cheap entry and departure of anything space-bound. But this isn’t all.
SolarCity Corp (NASDAQ:SCTY) addresses Elon’s concern for sustainable energy. He’s Chairman of the board for SolarCity Corp (NASDAQ:SCTY) while his cousin Lyndon Rive is the CEO. Many of Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA)’s and SolarCity Corp (NASDAQ:SCTY)’s goals are intertwined, such as the fact that Tesla supercharging stations are powered by SolarCity Corp (NASDAQ:SCTY)’s solar panels and SolarCity Corp (NASDAQ:SCTY) is beta testing battery packs made by Tesla for energy storage. But that’s not all, and Elon is thinking up something new, something that has never been created before.
Just yesterday, July 15, 2013, Musk tweeted that on Augest 12 the Hyperloop alpha design would be released. No one really knows what exactly this is going to look like. Musk describes it as a combination of a railgun and an airhockey table, and even the best physicists are preparing to be blown away. The Hyperloop is supposed to get from LA to San Francisco in half an hour. That’s traveling 381 miles in half an hour, the equivalent of a 762 mph train. Not only is it going to be fast, but it’s going to be efficient. It supposedly will cost less than half of putting in a high-speed bullet train that would go half the speed of the Hyperloop. I won’t delve into the details of the Hyperloop too much because, to be honest, no one really knows what the design is going to look like, but I can tell you to brace yourself. Musk doesn’t design anything short of breathtaking.
If it was anyone else inventing the Hyperloop, they would probably patent the design and make money for years off of their patent. But because it’s Musk, he tweeted that he would leave the design open source, and let anyone use it/modify and improve it. Musk wants to benefit society, and in doing so sees no reason to charge people for an idea. By doing so he’s letting society benefit him as well. He also tweeted that he only sees it fit to file for a patent when it’s vital to the survival of one of his companies. The Hyperloop works directly with the California government and citizens, and if it works out well, could eventually be installed all across the country.
Investing
The reason that Tesla and SolarCity are trading so high is because people aren’t necessarily buying into the earnings multiple, or this year’s projected EPS. People are buying into the fact that Elon Musk has been known to do things that blow people away, that revolutionize industries, and achieve the impossible. If Elon Musk was the average CEO then yes, Tesla and SolarCity would be terrible investments. But Elon isn’t the average CEO, and he’s proving it to the world.
We invest in Musk, and Musk invests in us. Musk is investing in our children’s future. Not necessarily by telling them to study engineering or physics, but by providing an incredible example. When Musk receives the spotlight he deserves in these upcoming years, kids will grow up wanting to work for him. He is investing by inspiring, and that’s the best way to do it.
This article isn’t about Tesla and SolarCity, it’s about what Elon Musk is doing to better society. I’m not here to tell you to invest in Tesla or SolarCity but rather to invest in Elon Musk as the person. To realize that Musk is going to be the man who topples goliath corporations because he is always three steps ahead of them. He’s the one who will put ideas into action before people even know those ideas are possible. He’s going to be the one our children are reading about in ten or twenty years for changing the world. He’s going to be as revered as Einstein if not more so. He’s going to be Musk, Elon Musk.
So I have four words for you regarding any company Musk is involved in: invest while you can.
Joel Wasserman owns shares of Tesla Motors and SolarCity. The Motley Fool recommends Tesla Motors . The Motley Fool owns shares of Tesla Motors. Joel is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network — entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.
The article The 2013 Stock Pick Everyone Will Learn About Too Late originally appeared on Fool.com is written by Joel Wasserman.
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