I think this is already pretty clear from his work. Nobody builds Tesla or SpaceX to get famous or rich - there are much easier ways. He is truly a nerd's nerd.
How can you look at his compensation package at Tesla that he negotiated and claim it was not to "get rich"? It's not like he did it for free.
and he did that with paypal. not everybody wants to stay with safe and boring stuff.
everybody knows that sooner or later the combustion engine goes the way of the dodo, cause there won't be anything to put inside it...
the odds of succeeding with an EV company are not extremely low but exactly the opposite, it's the future, guaranteed. but of course it's not an overnight project and one needs to do better than introducing models 5 years ago that are still not being manufactured (roadster).
16 Psyche HQ is established, and humans are engaged in a pact of cooperation and union, against all elements, against all odds, to end all wealth.
Starships drop from the sky with supplies. The whole planet is growing, there are no more reasons for the borders.
We have instead, the infinite sky.
We could get way, way more from it than SpaceX and Tesla.
Dreamy fantasies are the only reasonable response in such circumstances.
My understanding of the human condition, led me to exactly this moment, 'mmkay?