Walter Isaacson

I was concerned that if I didn’t study business, I would be forced to work for someone who did

we must have inspiring things in the world.” Life cannot be merely about solving problems, he felt. It also had to be about pursuing great dreams. “That’s what can get us up in the morning.”

Unless this fourth launch attempt succeeded, it would be the end of SpaceX and probably of the wacky notion that space pioneering could be led by private entrepreneurs. It might also be the end of Tesla. “We wouldn’t be able to get any new funding for Tesla,” Musk says. “People would be like, ‘Look at that guy whose rocket company failed, he’s a loser.’ ”