Why Elon Musk Has Become the North Star for Young Entrepreneurs?

IRED asked over a dozen startup founders between the ages of 15 and 30 who inspires them.

More than half mentioned Elon Musk. Unlike previous generations who looked to the histories of Apple, Google, or Amazon for guidance, today’s young innovators are drawn to forward-thinking leaders tackling the world’s biggest problems.

Alongside techno-optimists like Sam Altman and Patrick Collison, Musk stands out as a symbol of relentless ambition, moonshot thinking, and the belief that technology can push humanity forward.

Elon Musk’s influence on young entrepreneurs is undeniable. Over half of the young founders surveyed by WIRED cited Musk as their primary inspiration, eclipsing tech giants like Jobs or Bezos 4.

Here’s a breakdown of Musk’s appeal and what it signals about the aspirations of today’s youth.

Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen has highlighted Elon Musk's distinctive management style, likening him to industrial pioneers such as Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Watson, and Henry Ford.

Andreessen emphasizes that Musk's approach is unparalleled among modern CEOs, characterized by his deep involvement and comprehensive understanding of every facet of his enterprises.

1. Solving Existential Problems: The Anti-"Profit-Only" Ethos

Young entrepreneurs are drawn to Musk’s mission-driven ventures—Tesla’s fight against climate change, SpaceX’s interplanetary ambitions, and Neuralink’s quest to merge humans with AI.

Unlike older tech titans, Musk frames his work as solving humanity’s existential threats, from fossil fuel dependence to planetary extinction

As mentioned in Wired a 22-year-old Marc Baghadjian notes, Musk is “picking up the tab for the mistakes of older generations” by tackling issues like sustainable energy head-on 4.

This aligns with a generational shift: 78% of Gen Z entrepreneurs prioritize social impact alongside profit, according to Wharton’s Lori Rosenkopf

Key Example: Tesla’s electric vehicles transformed a niche market into a mainstream movement, proving that business can drive systemic change—a lesson young founders take to heart 15.

2. Grit and Relentless Hustle: The Mythos of Struggle

Musk’s origin story—sleeping on Tesla’s factory floor, maxing out credit cards, and surviving near-bankruptcy—resonates with startups navigating today’s volatile economy.

His early days at Zip2, where he coded in a cramped office and showered at a YMCA, exemplify the “no glamour” grind that 15-year-old founder Pranjali Awasthi admires 24 reported by Wired.

For a generation raised on viral success stories, Musk’s transparency about failure (e.g., SpaceX’s explosive rocket tests) reframes setbacks as stepping stones 12.

Takeaway: Musk’s mantra of “fail fast, iterate faster” has become a blueprint for resilience. As one founder put it, “If Musk can survive a Russian engineer spitting on his shoes and still build SpaceX, what’s my excuse?”

3. Ethical Entrepreneurship: Success Without “Selling Out”

Young innovators criticize billionaires who prioritize wealth over impact. Musk, despite his flaws, is seen as a “value creator” who reinvests profits into moonshot projects rather than hoarding wealth.

UCLA’s Olav Sorenson observes that students admire figures like Musk and Seth Goldman (Beyond Meat) for blending profit with purpose.

This aligns with Musk’s open-source approach at SpaceX, where he famously declared, “Patents are for the weak,” prioritizing industry transformation over monopolies.

Contrast: While Amazon and Apple revolutionized commerce and tech, Musk’s focus on sustainability and space exploration feels more urgent to a climate-anxious generation.

4. The Hands-On Founder: Visionary Leadership in Action

Musk’s hyper-involved leadership style—coding at 3 AM, personally interviewing engineers—embodies the “Founder Mode” mythologized in Silicon Valley. Yet, this approach is double-edged.

While his hands-on grit inspires (e.g., leading 23-hour workdays during Tesla’s production hell ), research warns that over-involvement can stunt scalability.

For young founders, though, Musk’s dedication signals authenticity—a rejection of detached corporate leadership.

Lesson: Musk’s ability to pivot from micromanagement to empowering teams (e.g., hiring “better than yourself” talent at SpaceX ) offers a nuanced model: stay visionary but adaptable.

5. The Diversity Gap: Musk as a Proxy in a Homogeneous Landscape

While Musk dominates as a role model, many young founders crave representation.

Silver Lining: New voices are emerging. Andrew Sun, 18, bypasses celebrity CEOs entirely, crediting a teacher for his microfinance venture. The rise of “stealth startups” and ethical funds suggests a future where inspiration is decentralized.

Musk as a Mirror for Generational Values

Musk’s idolization isn’t just about rockets or EVs—it’s a reflection of Gen Z’s hunger for purpose, accountability, and audacity.

Yet, the demand for diverse role models signals an evolving landscape where success is redefined: not just wealth or fame, but ethical impact and inclusivity.

As the next generation of founders reshapes entrepreneurship, Musk’s legacy will hinge on whether he remains a catalyst for change—or a relic of Silicon Valley’s past.

Final Thought: “Celebrity CEOs won’t save us,” says Andrew Sun. The real innovation lies in building a world where every founder, regardless of background, can inspire.