Why do you think this sticker [1] is so popular? It is because prior to Twitter acquisition, despite some blemishes, most people thought Elon Musk is a smart but otherwise normal person. Most of the things you mentioned came later.
Most people were _not paying attention_, until the Twitter thing made it impossible to ignore. But there was all sorts of unhinged behaviour for years before.
I never said he was unpopular. I said you weren't paying attention - and every single thing I mentioned happened before the acquisition. You are being willfully ignorant.