Reusable rockets likely got the same ridicule, as did fast satellite internet, self driving and fully electric vehicles.
replyIn those areas, Musk successfully leveraged government largesse to compete with fat, lazy incumbents who had either coasted for decades (rockets and satellite Internet) or who didn't bother to show up to the game (EVs, self-driving and otherwise.)
That does not describe the semiconductor industry.
Musk has never beaten anybody who actually put up a fight, as far as I'm aware. I guess Blue Origin technically counts, but again that's not exactly TSMC.
Intel and Microsoft are having that same problem right now when the playing field is level, they have trouble competing.
reply> self driving
replyAren't we still waiting for that?