Piers Morgan certainly doesn’t mince his words, and after Elon Musk was announced Time’s Person of the Year, the formerGood Morning Britain host had quite a lot to say.
In his MailOnline column, Morgan acknowledged that although the SpaceX founder and CEO “isn’t everyone’s cup of tea”, those who criticise the decision to award him the accolade are “whiny woke wastrels” who are “throwing their toys out of their strollers.”
The 56-year-old journalist drew similarities between himself and the Tesla boss, saying he could be describing himself as he labels Musk “brash, arrogant, uncompromising, erratic, antagonistic, attention-seeking and sometimes tweets like a reckless maniac.”
He praised the “swashbuckling maverick” and said the billionaire hasn’t achieved being “the single greatest entrepreneurial genius on planet Earth right right” by being “Mr. Nice Guy”.
Mr. Nice Guy is certainly a label that not everyone would agree with for Musk.
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Musk has been described as temperamental, and allegedly previously told overworked staff: “I can be on my own private island with naked supermodels, drinking Mai Tais - but I’m not.”
There are other criticisms too, with some saying autonomy under Musk is an issue, as well as the ambitious leader’s “unrealistic” goals. However, it’s also been said that he thinks outside the box and has a “contagious” energy.
Commenting on Musk’s managerial style as a “demanding workaholic”, Morgan said: “Truly transformative people are rarely warm, cuddly individuals.”
Time magazine’s person of the year isn’t necessarily an endorsement of the person they select annually, rather they choose the person who has had the most influence on the world that year - “for good or for ill”. Previous winners include the likes of Greta Thunberg, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, however others to also receive an accolade from the magazine include Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin.
Morgan assumed that Musk fell into the “good category” – but not everyone agreed.
Morgan wrote: “Judging by the outraged liberal reaction to his Time POTY announcement, the woke brigade believe he is even less deserving than previous holders of the title like Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin.”
Morgan then went on to cite criticism from the likes of talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, who said the award “is not necessarily a compliment” before going on to mention the magazine previously selecting Hilter and Trump.
Senator Elizabeth Warren criticised Musk for “freeloading” due to the “rigged tax code” – but Musk shot back to claim he will pay more taxes than any American in history this year.
And if you opened your eyes for 2 seconds, you would realize I will pay more taxes than any American in history this year
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 14, 2021
He went on to call her “Senator Karen”, saying: “You remind me of when I was a kid and my friend’s angry Mom would just randomly yell at everyone for no reason.”
So what does Morgan have to say about the criticism?
Heralding Musk as the “living, breathing personification of the American dream”, Morgan went on to highlight the hardships Musk has faced before outlining the achievements of his previous ventures.
Morgan concluded by saying Musk is “uniquely qualified” to receive the award and added: “We need more people like him in the world, and less whiny woke wastrels currently throwing their toys out of their strollers because their bogeyman is finally getting the recognition that he deserves.”
What do you think?
