In “Measuring the Modern Entrepreneur: An Evaluation of Elon Musk,” published in The Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in 2023, Bosanquet critically examines Elon Musk’s entrepreneurial journey, placing a significant focus on his innovative contributions and challenges.
This analysis involves comparing Musk to iconic entrepreneurs like Henry Ford and Kiichiro Toyoda and juxtaposing Tesla Motors against Ford Motor Company and Toyota Motor Corporation. It aims to provide a nuanced understanding of Musk’s role in the evolution of entrepreneurship, acknowledging both his groundbreaking achievements with Tesla, Inc. and the controversies surrounding his public statements and leadership style.
Since its inception by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning in 2003, and under Musk’s leadership from 2004, Tesla has emerged as a leader in the electric vehicle (EV) and clean energy sector, demonstrating Musk’s visionary approach to sustainable energy.
Despite facing legal and public scrutiny, Musk’s stewardship has seen Tesla reach unprecedented milestones, including a $1 trillion market capitalization in October 2021, making it the most valuable automaker globally by 2023.
This backdrop of Tesla’s ascendancy and challenges, alongside Musk’s largest shareholder status, frames Bosanquet’s exploration of Musk’s entrepreneurial ethos, his innovative impact, and the criticisms he has encountered, contributing to the discourse on modern entrepreneurship’s evolving dynamics.
