Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Class
30th June 2023
Kevin Mitnick and Elon Musk: Compared and Contrasted
Kevin Mitnick is perhaps the world’s most famous hacker. He has authored and co-
authored books, founded a computer security company, lectured around the country, been
featured on a Discovery Channel documentary, and has been arrested numerous times for
breaching governmental, utility (General Telephone and Electronics Corporation, MCI, Pacific
Telephone), and educational computer systems. Mitnick even hacked the FBI, learning about the
details of the case against him (Mitnick, 172). Both men came from a similar background and
are intensely driven and intelligent, but they have one characteristic that separates them: Mitnick
chose to commit felonies, while Musk opted to create jobs and tackle serious environmental
problems through technological innovation.
VISIONS, PROJECTS, AND BEHAVIOR
Elon Musk is a visionary. His stated life purpose is to see mankind colonize Mars, and
he has hung two massive images of the red planet on either side of the entrance to his office in
Hawthorne, CA (Vance, 6). Most are familiar with SpaceX, the private venture corporation that
managed to fly a supply capsule to the International Space Station and back. This company
competes with the U.S. Government, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin. Tesla motors produced a
beautifully-designed, fully electric car (Vance, 22). He is also extremely active in the
development and implementation of solar cells, and is the largest shareholder of SolarCity, an
energy company.
, Musk’s first venture was Zip2, which was a Google Maps/Yelp-type hybrid. While not
terribly sophisticated, Compaq bought the technology in 1999 for $307 million (Banks).
Afterwards, Musk demonstrated enormous self-confidence and good business acumen when he
invested nearly the entire amount into PayPal, later acquired by eBay for $1.5 billion in 2002.
Afterward, Musk invested this amount in more venture capital projects (Vance, 39). He is also
working on a revolutionary train, called the Hyperloop, that will cut travel time from hours to
minutes. It consists of pressurized capsules that ride on a cushion of air (Banks).
Elon Musk is reported to be introverted and awkward. He likes to control his
environment, avoiding carbs and putting an at-will employment model to work, going through
communications directors and personal assistants often. Mitnick no doubt shares this trait, going
through a phase of intense exercise and vegetarianism (Mitnick, 354). When Elon Musk
communicates, he will not provide simplified explanations, even if he is talking above the other
person’s head (Vance, 31). It is almost as though he is afraid people will know him too well. He
likes parties and pageantry, costumes and blasting his Tesla automobile into space.
However, just like Mitnick, his childhood was described as “excruciating.” His father
was abusive, and Musk became bookish and withdrawn as a result. He, like Mitnick, was
interested in computers, as well as sci-fi. One of the worst ordeals that Musk faced was being
bullied. He was pushed down a flight of stairs, and was even hospitalized (Kosoff). In contrast,
Kevin Mitnick used the phones and the Internet in order to commit criminal acts. Like Musk, he
defines his own boundaries, and began life shy and isolated. He comments in his book that his
parent’s divorce and victimization by his mother’s boyfriends were events that created bitterness
and alienation. He also states that they moved around too much to make friends.
Professor’s Name
Class
30th June 2023
Kevin Mitnick and Elon Musk: Compared and Contrasted
Kevin Mitnick is perhaps the world’s most famous hacker. He has authored and co-
authored books, founded a computer security company, lectured around the country, been
featured on a Discovery Channel documentary, and has been arrested numerous times for
breaching governmental, utility (General Telephone and Electronics Corporation, MCI, Pacific
Telephone), and educational computer systems. Mitnick even hacked the FBI, learning about the
details of the case against him (Mitnick, 172). Both men came from a similar background and
are intensely driven and intelligent, but they have one characteristic that separates them: Mitnick
chose to commit felonies, while Musk opted to create jobs and tackle serious environmental
problems through technological innovation.
VISIONS, PROJECTS, AND BEHAVIOR
Elon Musk is a visionary. His stated life purpose is to see mankind colonize Mars, and
he has hung two massive images of the red planet on either side of the entrance to his office in
Hawthorne, CA (Vance, 6). Most are familiar with SpaceX, the private venture corporation that
managed to fly a supply capsule to the International Space Station and back. This company
competes with the U.S. Government, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin. Tesla motors produced a
beautifully-designed, fully electric car (Vance, 22). He is also extremely active in the
development and implementation of solar cells, and is the largest shareholder of SolarCity, an
energy company.
, Musk’s first venture was Zip2, which was a Google Maps/Yelp-type hybrid. While not
terribly sophisticated, Compaq bought the technology in 1999 for $307 million (Banks).
Afterwards, Musk demonstrated enormous self-confidence and good business acumen when he
invested nearly the entire amount into PayPal, later acquired by eBay for $1.5 billion in 2002.
Afterward, Musk invested this amount in more venture capital projects (Vance, 39). He is also
working on a revolutionary train, called the Hyperloop, that will cut travel time from hours to
minutes. It consists of pressurized capsules that ride on a cushion of air (Banks).
Elon Musk is reported to be introverted and awkward. He likes to control his
environment, avoiding carbs and putting an at-will employment model to work, going through
communications directors and personal assistants often. Mitnick no doubt shares this trait, going
through a phase of intense exercise and vegetarianism (Mitnick, 354). When Elon Musk
communicates, he will not provide simplified explanations, even if he is talking above the other
person’s head (Vance, 31). It is almost as though he is afraid people will know him too well. He
likes parties and pageantry, costumes and blasting his Tesla automobile into space.
However, just like Mitnick, his childhood was described as “excruciating.” His father
was abusive, and Musk became bookish and withdrawn as a result. He, like Mitnick, was
interested in computers, as well as sci-fi. One of the worst ordeals that Musk faced was being
bullied. He was pushed down a flight of stairs, and was even hospitalized (Kosoff). In contrast,
Kevin Mitnick used the phones and the Internet in order to commit criminal acts. Like Musk, he
defines his own boundaries, and began life shy and isolated. He comments in his book that his
parent’s divorce and victimization by his mother’s boyfriends were events that created bitterness
and alienation. He also states that they moved around too much to make friends.
