It can't and it's just not. People use the word "money" for different things. He's not doing it for another bill or a number on some screens- neither are most employees of those companies. That's just projecting values on someone else.
replyThe things they're trying to accomplish require extreme amounts of capital.
Assuming best intentions, making a colony on mars is gonna require money
replyNot even Elon is delusional enough to truly believe a mars colony is a remote possibility.
replyI don't think you can describe his beliefs using booleans like that: you have to use a numeric scale. It would be be correct to say: Elon would need a hell of a lot of ketamine to believe a colony on mars is a possibility.
replyIt's not exactly like Cookie Clicker. Many people definitely like seeing the number going up, but for most people that get to that point of wealth, the goal is power that the money represents. A human being may struggle to relate to them, but they really are motivated by the sole desire to own and control everything.
replyYou cannot get that rich without money being the motivator.
replyYes you can. Money is a medium of exchange. Stock is a medium of exchange. But they buy the ability to effectuate your will in the world. If you have a vision of the world money, human capital, political power are not the measure of success or the goal. They are the instruments of executing a vision.
replySome people aren't motivated by money, they are motivated by reputation, or pathology.