Elon Musk tweeted out an advertisement last week from a Kansas newspaper in 1915 titled "Horse vs Automobile". The ad attempted to persuade consumers that buying a car was potentially a far more expensive decision than sticking with their tried and tested horse for transportation.
“Come in and get a new harness instead of a new car and remember that Dobbin will take you through snow and mud as well as on good roads and that his carburetor is never out of order.”
Mr Musk commented on the ad that “Horses are even self-driving!”. Later in a reply, he also said: “There was still a surprisingly high usage of horses in 1940, but the trend was obvious.” And further down the thread he confirmed that he agreed with another Twitter user’s statement that buying anything other than a car with full self-driving capabilities right now was the equivalent of buying a horse one hundred years ago.
It is usually hard to know for certain what Mr Musk is thinking or aiming to achieve with his prolific social media activity. We can assume much without ever being definitively sure if he is being serious, playful or just seeing how far he can go.
Previous tweets have landed him in hot water with market regulators. He has even opened himself up to defamation law suits. Often his tweets also make him richer. However, his fortune fluctuates depending on the price of shares in Tesla, which soared 743 per cent last year.
For a chief executive, Elon Musk has enormous influence beyond his own companies, including Tesla. That is a precious commodity. Reuters
More recently, the chief executive of the electric car maker lost $27 billion of his wealth in a single week amid a sell-off of technology stocks. At the end the same week, his $156.9bn net worth still had him at number two, almost $20bn behind Jeff Bezos, who once again became the world's richest person. Whether Mr Musk is first, second, third or otherwise on the global money charts on any given day is beside the point. His business goals, should they come to fruition, will bestow on him a kind of immortality that money alone cannot convey on an individual.
Hence, interested observers must tread carefully whenever analysing Mr Musk’s comments about anything, let alone cars and horses – this particular tweet getting more than 140,000 likes and being retweeted over 13,000 times at the time of writing this article.
A few days after he posted it, on Sunday, Mr Musk also announced that he was offering Tesla owners who wanted it, self-driving software for their vehicles, as part of a pilot programme that began in October.
The idea of testing this technology among the general public has made many nervous. Equally, those who defend the project say humans have shown themselves to be far more dangerous behind the wheel than any autopilot. It stirred a lot of conversation.
Mr Musk is always pushing boundaries as he pursues his objectives in transportation, space and satellite communications.
Whether he succeeds in fulfilling his many ambitions, his legacy is likely to endure in the corporate world. By involving customers in Tesla’s R&D efforts and directly engaging with them on a wide range of subjects, issues and even service complaints, he is changing the expectations of consumers everywhere. They will want the same level of engagement from brands that impact their day-to-day lives, whether it is the car they drive, the food they eat or the clothes they wear.
You can see this trend already playing out in the way corporate accounts on Twitter have adopted more personal and casual tones.
Beyond the motor industry, which will have to emulate Tesla to beat it in the growing market for electric cars, other sectors and businesses will see the brand loyalty that Tesla commands and also follow suit.
A new era of more transparent and direct corporate communications will be part of Mr Musk’s legacy.
Also, he is challenging conceptions around corporate leadership.
Culturally and socially, so much is already changing, and the generations coming through have their own ideas of what a CEO should be like. Mr Musk can be a divisive figure. He is, for example, adored by millennials. While he may be less beloved by those older and younger, they still know who he is.
For a chief executive, he has enormous influence beyond his own companies. That is a precious commodity. It is also a responsibility, one that Mr Musk can be flippant about. Perhaps because he does not want it.
His horse and car ad tweet highlights this. Back in the early 20th century, there were sensible reasons why people were still buying horses decades after the invention of the car, and similarly there will be those justifiably hesitant to embrace AI as their driver today.
Mr Musk is effectively dismissing you though, if you are not already on board with a future of self-driving cars. Putting a negative spin on those who disagree with you would seem like corporate suicide. You are upsetting potential customers, a cardinal sin for any business. However, not for Mr Musk. Rather, it endears him even more to those who already are or who want to be Tesla owners. Mr Musk’s approach is a form of tribal leadership, conscious or otherwise.
Instead of creating a singular rivalry, Musk seemingly seeks to exclude
Instead of creating a singular rivalry, such as Coke vs Pepsi, or say Tesla vs Ford, which often stirs cultural and sometimes even political debate about how and what you choose to consume but overall remains inclusive, Mr Musk seemingly seeks to exclude.
As this remarkable period of technological advancement slows over the coming decades, it is likely that we will have fewer transcending characters such as Mr Musk but he will not be gone. By then he would have influenced generations of CEOs who will either seek to emulate or negate his way of doing things. So, however it happens, we will all one day live in Mr Musk’s world. This will probably please him more than anything else.
Mustafa Alrawi is an assistant editor-in-chief at The National
The biog
Simon Nadim has completed 7,000 dives.
The hardest dive in the UAE is the German U-boat 110m down off the Fujairah coast.
As a child, he loved the documentaries of Jacques Cousteau
He also led a team that discovered the long-lost portion of the Ines oil tanker.
If you are interested in diving, he runs the XR Hub Dive Centre in Fujairah
Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
Submit their request
What are the regulations?
Fly it within visual line of sight
Never over populated areas
Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
Should have a live feed of the drone flight
Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Key findings of Jenkins report
Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
The flights Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes. The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast. The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
Edinburgh, Scotland
Westminster, London
Camden, London
Glasgow, Scotland
Islington, London
Kensington and Chelsea, London
Highlands, Scotland
Argyll and Bute, Scotland
Fife, Scotland
Tower Hamlets, London
RESULTS: 2018 WORLD CUP QUALIFYING - EUROPE
Albania 0 Italy 1
Finland 2 Turkey 2
Macedonia 4 Liechtenstein
Iceland 2 Kosovo 0
Israel 0 Spain 1
Moldova 0 Austria 1
Serbia 1 Georgia 0
Ukraine 0 Croatia 2
Wales 0 Ireland 1
The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
RESULTS
Catchweight 82kg
Piotr Kuberski (POL) beat Ahmed Saeb (IRQ) by decision.
All matches in Bulawayo Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
Abu Dhabi racecard
5pm: Maiden (Purebred Arabians); Dh80,000; 1,400m. 5.30pm: Maiden (PA); Dh80,00; 1,400m. 6pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (PA); Group 3; Dh500,000; 1,600m. 6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (Thoroughbred); Listed; Dh380,000; 1,600m 7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup for Private Owners Handicap (PA); Dh70,000; 1,400m. 7.30pm: Handicap (PA); Dh80,000; 1,600m
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The biog
Favourite pet: cats. She has two: Eva and Bito
Favourite city: Cape Town, South Africa
Hobby: Running. "I like to think I’m artsy but I’m not".
Favourite move: Romantic comedies, specifically Return to me. "I cry every time".
Favourite spot in Abu Dhabi: Saadiyat beach
How to tell if your child is being bullied at school
Sudden change in behaviour or displays higher levels of stress or anxiety
Shows signs of depression or isolation
Ability to sleep well diminishes
Academic performance begins to deteriorate
Changes in eating habits
Struggles to concentrate
Refuses to go to school
Behaviour changes and is aggressive towards siblings
Begins to use language they do not normally use
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
