Name: Elon Musk, creator, jester, ruler or nihilist?
Uploaded: 2025-12-10T16:37:47.022Z
Duration: 2 min 4 s
Description: Tech billionaire Elon Musk could be considered a hero with a thousand faces — if it were not for the divisive nature of his words which makes him hard to love in Europe.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk could be considered a hero with a thousand faces — if it were not for the divisive nature of his words which makes him hard to love in Europe.

Paris

A recent Euronews commentary analyzes Elon Musk's multifaceted public persona through the lens of Carl Jung's archetypes. The article discusses Musk as a creator, ruler, and jester, while also acknowledging the shadow sides of anarchist, tyrant, and nihilist that accompany these roles.

The piece highlights Musk's achievements in technology and business, as well as his controversial actions, such as mass layoffs at Twitter and provocative social media behavior. The analysis concludes by questioning which aspect of Musk's personality is most prominent at any given time.

Elon Musk, creator, jester, ruler or nihilist?

Trying to understand Elon is like trying to assemble IKEA furniture in the dark. Except we have no instructions and the pieces keep changing shape. We Europeans often dismiss him as a barbaric cowboy. We pride ourselves on being the educated adults in the room. Well, if we are so clever, let's prove it. And for that, let's use Carl Jung to talk about Elon. The Swiss psychologist defines archetypes. But there is a catch. For every positive face, there is a shadow. First, the creator. He is the visionary building rockets that one day will take him to Mars. But his shadow is the anarchist. He treats SpaceX explosions as data and he is willing to burn billions and occasionally break laws just to see if his toys work. Second, the ruler. If money is the measurement of success, he is the most profitable CEO in the world who just secured one trillion dollar deal at Tesla to keep him. But his shadow is the tyrant. When he took over Twitter, he didn't just restructure it. 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 posting memes that people laugh at. But here, the shadow is the nihilist. The cruel trickster who retweets posts comparing the EU to the Fourth Reich. But not for the lols. He simply believes nothing matters anymore. Elon is a spectacle we cannot look away from. Maybe he's just seeking validation from his favorite former reality TV star. But that, on the other side, would be Freud. So, Mr. Musk, which Elon are you today?

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