Is Elon Musk Intelligent, Or Does He Just Pay Intelligent People To Do Stuff?

Yes. To both. Embrace the power of ?and.? He is clearly no intellectual slouch; actual bona fide rocket scientists have commented, on several occasions, that he picks up the fine details of extremely technical subjects blindingly fast. And he also hires incredibly intelligent people who have knowledge and skills he doesn?t have to do things. That comes at a cost, of course. He seems to have, by all accounts, some remarkably poor social skills, and he definitely struggles with empathy. I?m sure he?d make a fascinating dinner guest, but I?m a lot less certain I?d want him as a regular part of my social circle. There?s no question, though, that he?s smart and hires phenomenally smart people. Read Also : Why does Elon Musk appear so much smarter than all the other tech CEOs?