[papito]

They did do it 20 years ago. Actually, 25 years ago. GM's EV1 was a car well ahead of its time, even with a decent range, but then it mysteriously disappeared.

This is covered in the documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car" (on Amazon).

So it's not like Elon Musk paved the way for electric cars - he just faced fewer headwinds. And let us not forget, he did not actually found Tesla, he acquired it. The company also barely made it if not for government help at the time of dire need.

Elon Musk, being the storyteller that he is, said once that he was drinking alone at a table in a club (who does that?) all sad due to the state of affairs at Tesla. It did not look like the company was going to make it. Then he was approached by his model future 2nd ex-wife, and the rest was history.

If only all men were living in an episode of Red Shoe Diaries.

[biztos]

> drinking alone in a club (who does that?)

Every single drinking person who has a club to go to and needs to do some thinking, for starters.

[smcl]

Pub I can see, but drowning your sorrows alone in a club is an odd one

[dagw]

"Club" can mean both a private members club with various facilities, including a bar, as well as a place where people party and dance all night to loud music.

[papito]

Why try and look for a hidden meaning in something that is obvious? That sounds exhausting.

It's weird enough that Musk claimed he was sad-drinking in a club, but now we are discussing the idea of him sad-drinking in a country club, a place for old, rich, white men who go there to play golf - where he was then approached by a young model?

[smcl]

That's true, I was going by dance-all-night/loud-music one

[suction]

He meant the latter

[biztos]

There are many kinds of club, and there are many reasons to have a drink by yourself, most of which are not about anybody’s sorrows. Maybe you like the music, for example, but aren’t in the mood for company.

But if we want to assume Musk was drowning his sorrows, and that it’s an EDM dance club — this seems to be your implication, maybe it’s true — then I still don’t find it weird. Darkness, distraction, the desire to be among people but also alone, avoiding your entourage… plenty of good reasons.