Elon Musk. The name is almost always enough—but Elon finds something to one-up himself almost every week. From sending his Tesla to space to naming his son X Æ A-12, Elon always finds a way to make sure people are following any news articles concerning him. Whether he does it unknowingly or not is beside the point. The point is this: he’s always in the news.

And some would say that’s a good thing. But is it?

Is Elon Musk an Influencer?

We think he is. He is the face and voice of his own brand—few business people can do that as effectively as Elon does, and all of us can learn from him.  And while there are people who would happily tell you how any news is good news, we’d say otherwise.

Take Elon Musk’s example, if you will. One of the best-known investors and space enthusiasts on the planet right now, he is a centibillionaire and is the guy we have come to associate with any Mars-related project. That isn’t just a good thing—that’s a great thing, especially since it has motivated so many young people and children to turn towards science.

Whether or not a million humans will live on Mars by 2060, one thing’s for sure: There will be a lot more people trying for space missions now, all thanks to the imagination and dedication of one man.

However. . .

Is All Publicity Good Publicity?

Among the latest of his antics, Elon Musk hosted an SNL episode, said he was the first person with Asperger’s to have done so, and plugged dogecoin in his monologue. And did that do a lot of damage? The dogecoin moon mission remark meant bitcoin plummeted steeply soon after he made that quip, leading to many people losing their investments. Sure, it made all the headlines—but it also cost Tesla a lot of dough—at least 20%.

Speaking with care when you’re such a public personality is always wise—in fact, it is quite imperative. Think back to the (many) times when Elon Musk was called out for stealing memes. If that wasn’t his finest hour, he also responded to that bit by stealing more memes.

Sure, we get it. He is a fun guy. It shows. But sometimes, when you’re running an enterprise, and when you’re standing in as the face of a massive business venture, you have to take precautions. The last thing you want people to think is that you aren’t serious about what you do. Otherwise, critics will soon be telling you how tone-deaf your choice of a host was, and you’ll end up being offended by The Onion.

Regardless, we love Elon Musk, and we think that his inclusive recruitment for Tesla is a major trendsetter. This is the kind of thing the world knows and loves him for—not the stolen memes and dogecoin jokes.

Where to Start

If you’re starting out as an influencer, Afluencer might be a good place to start. We connect social media influencers with brands. You can follow us for more resources.