• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Elon Musk's biographer saw him fly into 'demon mode' where he suddenly becomes very 'dark'

Home> Technology

Updated 17:14 27 Jun 2023 GMT+1Published 17:00 27 Jun 2023 GMT+1

Elon Musk's biographer saw him fly into 'demon mode' where he suddenly becomes very 'dark'

The Twitter owner has a fearsome reputation, with Elon Musk laying off nearly half the staff at the social media platform.

Katherine Sidnell

Katherine Sidnell

A biographer for Elon Musk has revealed that the billionaire has a ‘dark’ side.

In fact, Walter Isaacson revealed that the SpaceX founder would often become ‘unpleasant' and go into ‘demon mode’ while focusing on a task.

If that weren’t bad enough the Twitter owner would even have ‘real lack of empathy’ for those who didn’t share his drive.

Ironically, Isaacson made the admission on the social media site during a Twitter Spaces interview on June 22.

Advert

The writer has been compiling a book on the Tesla founder, speaking with those closest to Musk – including his ex-partner Grimes.

The Tesla King is the subject of a new biography.
Shutterstock/Associated Press /

Allegedly, it was the musician who made up the term ‘demon mode’ to describe Musk's states of hyperfocus – saying ‘it ‘gets s**t done’.

This state is reportedly ‘unpleasant’, with the billionaire having little empathy for those that don't have the same ‘maniacal sense of urgency’.

Advert

Due for release in September, Isaacson’s book also has another example of the bizarre behaviour by the multi-billionaire, who regularly goes ‘dark’ as he rips into colleagues.

Musk has reputation for being a difficult boss.
Shutterstock/Associated Press /Alamy
Musk reportedly sacked roughly half of those employed at Twitter when he acquired the site late last year, so it seems he takes no prisoners.

"He'd go dark and I'd know that he was just going to rip that person apart," explained Isaacson in the interview – saying Musk was ‘just brutal’.

"The thing that I noticed is that once he finishes doing it — and it was never physical and it was almost done in a flat monotone — but he would just really attack people and then a few days later, if they absorbed the lesson, he'd forget about it,” revealed the biographer.

Advert

“It would be as if he went from becoming Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde and then didn't even think that much or remember that much of how tough he had been on people."

Thankfully, the billionaire doesn’t behave like this constantly, with Isaacson stating that his criticism was only problematic ’20 percent of the time’.

Though this is unconfirmed, Isaacson states this ‘dark streak’ comes the bullying Musk endured as a child and intense home life.

"Elon Musk also has a desire for drama, both in his personal and in his professional life," added Isaacson: "He is somebody who feels most comfortable when he's ordered up a hurricane or surge."

Advert

UNILAD has reached out to Musk for comment.

Featured Image Credit: Alex Maxam 16 minutes ago Shutterstock/Associated Press / Alamy Stock Photo

Topics: Elon Musk, Celebrity, Twitter

Katherine Sidnell
Katherine Sidnell

Katherine is an entertainment journalist with a love of all things nerdy. Starting out writing Doctor Who fan fiction as a kid, she has gone on to interview the likes of Matt Damon, James May and Dua Lipa to name a few. Published in The Sun, The Daily Mail and Evening Standard - she now joins Ladbible as resident nerd in chief.

X

@ksidnell

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

2 days ago
3 days ago
6 days ago
  • Getty Images/NurPhoto
    2 days ago

    iPhone users warned to do five things before upgrading to controversial iOS 26

    Make sure you have your changer handy because the new software update can temporarily deplete your battery, according to Apple

    Technology
  • Getty Images
    2 days ago

    Expert claims these specific jobs will be extinct in the next 10 years

    God speed to all of the copywriters and marketing specialists out there...

    Technology
  • YouTube/Good Morning Britain
    3 days ago

    Domestic abuse survivor reveals how Siri saved her life in brutal attack

    Emma-Louise Kelly used her iPhone voice assistant 'out of sheer desperation'

    Technology
  • Getty Images/Justin Sullivan
    6 days ago

    People have already noticed flaw with new iPhone as Samsung savagely troll Apple

    Samsung had things to say about the new iPhone Air

    Technology
  • Twitter users left saying 'oh my God' after Elon Musk's latest AI unleashes 'sexy AI' mode
  • Elon Musk's daughter reveals shocking truth on how much money she gets from him after he claimed she was dead
  • Elon Musk's daughter reveals she's leaving the US following Trump's presidential win
  • Elon Musk's company SpaceX submits letter to judge asking for HQ to become its own city