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Trying to understand tech billionaire Elon Musk is like trying to assemble IKEA furniture in the dark.
Except we have no instructions, and the pieces keep changing shape.
Some Europeans dismiss him as a “barbaric cowboy”. We pride ourselves on being the educated adults in the room.
Well, if we are so clever, let us prove it and use Carl Jung to talk about Elon. This Swiss psychologist defined archetypes — the universal roles.
But there is a catch. For every positive one, there is a shadowy downside.
First, there is the Creator. As one, Musk is the visionary building rockets to take him to Mars one day. But his shadow is the Anarchist. He treats SpaceX explosions as “data” and he is willing to burn billions — and occasionally break laws — to see if his toys work.
Second, the Ruler. If money is the measure of success, he is the most profitable CEO in the world who just secured $1 trillion deal at Tesla to keep him.
But his shadow is the Tyrant. When he took over Twitter — now X — he did not just restructure the social media network, he decapitated it. He fired 80% of the staff in weeks, demanding “hardcore” loyalty just to prove he holds the crown.
And third, the Jester. The internet troll posts memes that make people laugh. But here, his shadow is the Nihilist, the cruel trickster who retweets posts comparing the European Union to the “Fourth Reich.”
He burns institutions not for a plan, but for the “lols” — because he believes nothing matters anyway.
Musk is a spectacle we cannot look away from. So, Mr Musk, which Elon are you today?
Watch the Euronews video in the player above for the full story.