Introduced in 2005, the Motor Trend Power List recognizes those who have most made a difference in the automotive industry during the previous year. These are the people who have helped create, engineer, and market the cars, trucks, and SUVs we love to drive, the people who have entertained us, engaged us, and, yes, sometimes enraged us.
We recognized that, inevitably, automaker CEOs tended to hog the upper echelons of the list. So we changed things up a little last year, reworking the top 10 places to recognize those who have had the most impact on the industry over the past 12 months in terms of design, engineering, brand development, performance, product development, and overall company management. And because this fascinating industry never stops evolving, we’ve nominated our top disrupter, outsider, and futurist, too.
At the top of our list is our Person of the Year, the individual we believe has had the most impact on the industry during the year.
Perhaps because the automobile is now well into its second century as a consumer product, we tend to take it for granted. It’s easy to forget that the car is the machine that changed the world, shaped our cities and our lives, and made those generations who lived in the 20th century the most mobile and most free in history. But over the coming decade, as the industry moves into the production of autonomous vehicles, this machine is going to change our world again. Profoundly. These are the people who will make that happen.
50. Olivier François
FCA, FCA Chief Marking Officer, head of the Fiat Brand
2016 Rank: 22
François has made waves over the years by pulling off the near-impossible, such as getting Eminem to star in a Super Bowl commercial and supporting strong sales even when products got a bit thin. His formula for success has become so consistent it is easy to forget to be wowed by the big names he convinces to come onboard. But the Fiat side of his duties is not running as smoothly, as the brand has failed to grow and thrive.
49. John Malone
Liberty Media Chairman
2016 Rank: Unranked
Although perhaps best known as owner of the Atlanta Braves, billionaire John Malone has a reputation for being a savvy and ruthless investor in media and telecoms businesses. Which makes his company’s $4.4 billion acquisition of the 35.5 percent share of F1, owned by Luxembourg-based investment fund CVC, an interesting move. F1 has had lackluster viewership in the U.S. compared with other markets. But with Bernie Ecclestone, the man who made F1 a global money machine, now 86 years old, might Malone be positioning himself to be the next F1 czar?
48. Stefano Domenicali
Lamborghini CEO
2016 Rank: Unranked
The former head of Ferrari’s Formula 1 program took over the top job at Lamborghini in March with huge shoes to fill after former CEO Stephan Winkelmann doubled sales and tripled revenue during his tenure. Domenicali will oversee the introduction of Lambo’s first SUV since the LM002.
47. Ken Block
Professional Racing Driver
2016 Rank: 32
It doesn’t matter if he jumps the shark—or does donuts around it. Block’s stunts are becoming more predictable yet also more insane. He shows no signs of losing his millions of followers on YouTube or his Gymkhana partnership with Ford, which draws an all-important young audience. You know you’ve made it when millions watch parody videos of your antics.
46. John Krafcik
Google CEO, Google Self-Driving Cars
2016 Rank: 49
Krafcik took Hyundai’s U.S. operations from irrelevance to contention during his tenure as CEO. His impact on the industry could prove to be bigger in his current role with Google’s Self-Driving Cars project. With the race to autonomous vehicles in full force, Krafcik has the advantage of working with the company that was first to have a visible test fleet of autonomous cars on the road. The tougher task: overseeing the implementation of Google’s technology in for-public-consumption vehicles. He also must bounce back from losing Chris Urmson, the engineer who nurtured the project from infancy.
45. Michelle Christensen
Acura Exterior Design Leader, Acura NSX
2016 Rank: Unranked
Christensen has had a supercharged career. She graduated from ArtCenter design school in 2005 and quickly led the controversial Acura ZDX crossover coupe’s exterior design before being tapped in 2012 to tackle the much-anticipated successor to the legendary Acura NSX. Her designs have injected real excitement back into the moribund Acura brand. One wonders what she will do when put in charge of styling a mass-market vehicle.
44. Russ Ruedisueli
FCA Director, SRT and Motorsports Engineering, FCA Group
2016 Rank: 45
The man behind the 707-hp Hellcats made Dodge and SRT cool again. The public was reminded that FCA still makes the Dodge Charger and Challenger. Sales of the Charger were only up slightly last year, but the aging Challenger jumped almost 30 percent. The question is whether Ruedisueli can sprinkle his engineering magic on other FCA products.
43. Adrian van Hooydonk
BMW Group Chief Designer
2016 Rank: 29
The man who took over from Chris Bangle, van Hooydonk has guided BMW to a less polarizing design philosophy. But his BMW, Rolls Royce, and Mini Vision 100 concepts are far from sterile. The concepts were designed to make the sheetmetal one with the driver. A glimpse of the real van Hooydonk, perhaps?
42. Gina McCarthy
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator
2016 Rank: 34
The EPA was blindsided by Volkswagen’s cheating scandal, and McCarthy and her staff are looking at how to prevent infractions from recurring. She was key in the negotiations that require VW to pay up to $15.9 billion. Should she continue under a new president, she must be ready for pressure from automakers; achieving 2025 CAFE standards of 54.5 mpg does not look possible.
41. Nick Rogers
Jaguar Land Rover Engineering Director
2016 Rank: Unranked
Now in his fourth decade in the industry, Rogers started his career as an apprentice body engineer with British Leyland. As the state-owned automaker lurched from crisis to crisis, Rogers worked with Honda, BMW, and Ford, eventually becoming chief engineer for the current Range Rover. He takes the top engineering job at JLR as the company moves to keep the sales momentum by launching an all-new Defender and Discovery model lines and develops a small Jaguar SUV to capitalize on the success of the F-Pace.
40. Herbert Diess
Volkswagen Chairman, Volkswagen Passenger Cars
2016 Rank: 35
Diess is the man in the middle of the Dieselgate maelstrom. In July he said he would not step down despite coming under investigation in Germany as to whether VW took too long to inform shareholders of the potential financial fallout. Diess is trying to recast VW as a maker of electric vehicles.
39. Ralph Gilles
FCA Head of Design
2016 Rank: 40
Gilles’ passion knows no limits. A performance freak, he ceaselessly hyped the Viper, but he also has a special knack for minivan design—and pretty much everything in between. As he sits on the group executive council, which makes all product decisions, Gilles is one of the most powerful designers in the industry.
38. Shiro Nakamura
Nissan Chief Creative Officer
2016 Rank: 33
The longtime design chief is working to redefine the Infiniti luxury brand, starting with the QX30 hatchback and the Mexico-sourced QX50 SUV that will debut Infiniti’s radical new 2.0-liter variable-compression turbo engine. Then comes the striking Q70 sedan, a rakish-looking car that’s essentially a four-door coupe. His goal: classic but not retro.
37. Andy Palmer
Aston Martin President and CEO
2016 Rank: Unranked
Once Carlos Ghosn’s key product guy at Nissan and Infiniti, Palmer says he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to run the charismatic boutique that is Aston Martin. He’s proven adept at keeping Aston in the headlines by rolling out expensive limited-run models such as the Vulcan, buying time until the all-new DB11 replaced the aging DB9 in 2016. And he’s persuaded investors to fund a plan that sees Vanquish and Vantage replacements and a new crossover that Aston hopes will double sales.
36. Franz von Holzhausen
Tesla Motors Senior Design Executive
2016 Rank: 37
Von Holzhausen’s Model S was a home run, a sinewy electric car that didn’t look frumpy. The Model X successfully riffed on the Model S’ design theme, but as an SUV it’s a miss: too much gimmickry and not enough made of the opportunities for uniquely space-efficient packaging afforded by the electric powertrain. His design for the Model 3, which features a panoramic glass roof, is also controversial.
35. Wolfgang Dürheimer
Bentley, Bugatti Chairman and CEO
2016 Rank: Unranked
Dürheimer’s career took an unscheduled detour when the former head of Porsche R&D fell afoul of VW Group politics and was unceremoniously removed from his subsequent role as head of Audi R&D. Now he’s back as CEO of Bentley and Bugatti, the very jobs he had before the Audi gig. And he’s loving it. Over the next few years he gets to launch the Bugatti Chiron (the world’s fastest car, anticipated to go 288 mph) and a slew of gorgeous new Bentleys built using the new VW Group MSB toolkit.
34. Sergio Marchionne
FCA, Ferrari Chairman and CEO
2016 Rank: 20
The chief of FCA and Ferrari has been regarded as the smartest man in the room but also dismissed for not being a car guy. Marchionne is certainly smart, and he has a work ethic that would kill most mortals. But there are signs the wheels are falling off FCA, which still has too many brands and not enough money to invest in them. The tough-guy business-school rhetoric is still there, but there’s a growing edge of desperation in the tone these days.
33. Sheri Hickok
GM Executive Chief Engineer of Autonomous Joint Ventures and Fleet Execution
2016 Rank: 36
After engineering GM’s full-size pickups, Hickok was promoted once again to work on a project that is a priority of CEO Mary Barra: autonomous vehicles. Hickock is now working on GM’s self-driving vehicle fleet as well as with joint ventures and partnerships to further this work. This makes her an important cog in the future of GM and the industry.
32. Gerry McGovern
Land Rover Chief Creative Officer
2016 Rank: 23
McGovern continues his transformation of Land Rovers into the world’s most stylish SUVs. With the new Land Rover Discovery replacing the long-running LR4, nearly every vehicle in the lineup now bears his stamp. Now comes the biggest challenge of his career: replacing the iconic 68-year-old Defender with not one but a family of Land Rovers that channel its utilitarian charm in a thoroughly modern manner.
31. Mark Fields
Ford CEO
2016 Rank: 15
The Ford CEO has been a firm guide since succeeding Alan Mulally. Fields has tried to make his mark by recycling former CEO Jac Nasser’s late-’90s idea that Ford is a mobility company—setting up an innovation center in Palo Alto and trying to claim leadership in autonomous vehicles and ride-sharing initiatives. But a lack of visibility has turned off Wall Street, and Ford stock has fallen since Fields took over in 2014 even though he has achieved strong sales and record profits.
30. Mike Manley
FCA Head of Jeep and Ram Brands; Chief Operating Officer Asia
2016 Rank: 24
Manley oversees FCA’s money-makers: the Jeep and Ram brands and FCA’s Asian expansion. It’s a huge portfolio of responsibilities that has him crisscrossing the globe almost as much as his boss, Sergio Marchionne. Manley is a quiet, driven, no-nonsense executive who is also a member of FCA’s Group Executive Council and a strong contender to eventually replace Marchionne as CEO.
29. Michael Simcoe
GM Vice President of Global Design
2016 Rank: Unranked
Simcoe has huge shoes to fill. The Australian became GM’s seventh design chief with the retirement of Ed Welburn. His last position was head of GM International Design based in Australia and Korea, and he approaches design with an appreciation for engineering. The challenge will be to mesh sometimes disparate priorities as GM launches everything from EVs to full-size pickups, with greater emphasis on lightweight materials, alternative powertrains, and connectivity.
28. Tim Kuniskis
FCA Head of Passenger Car Brands, Dodge, SRT, Chrysler, and Fiat
2016 Rank: 28
Kuniskis has kept Dodge relevant, elevating the status of the performance brand with its headline-grabbing Hellcats. He also has a success on his hands with the Chrysler Pacifica. But he faces the challenge of selling FCA’s small cars when the Dart and 200 have been busts. He also must bolster Fiat’s lagging sales while orchestrating the relaunch of Alfa Romeo.
27. Dan Ammann
GM President
2016 Rank: 17
As a number cruncher, Dan Ammann’s directives can be controversial—like killing nameplates while giving Cadillac a lot of rope. But the mix of strong financials and products suggest his methods are working. He is now pushing autonomous cars, ride-sharing, and other initiatives that CEO Mary Barra has made a priority.
26. Michael Mauer
Porsche Chief Designer
2016 Rank: Unranked
Mauer is the man with arguably the toughest design job in the auto industry—how do you keep reinventing the 911? Not only has he carried that off with aplomb, as seen with the 991 models, but his Porsche Macan is also one of the sportiest compact SUVs on the planet. Mauer’s most recent tour de force, though, is the new Panamera. The original was an oddball hunchback. The new one is drop-dead gorgeous.
25. Donald Walker
Magna CEO
2016 Rank: Unranked
The sometimes-shy Canadian company does not boast about being the second-largest parts maker in the world. Few outsiders realize its Magna Steyr subsidiary builds vehicles in Graz, Austria, but many automakers have used its contract manufacturing services. Magna is currently deciding whether to add a second vehicle assembly plant in Eastern Europe, establish its first contract manufacturing plant in North America, and make electric vehicles in China.
24. Mary Nichols
California Air Resources Board Chairwoman
2016 Rank: 8
The Outsider CARB, the EPA, and NHTSA issued a draft report that may result in recalculating proposed fuel economy and emissions targets for 2025. Nichols’ clout could mean the 54.5-mpg and 35 percent emissions-reduction standards are only slightly reduced rather than gutted.
23. Luc Donckerwolke
Hyundai Head, Hyundai Motor Design Center, Prestige Design Division
2016 Rank: 38
The former Lamborghini and Bentley design chief is in charge of making the Genesis brand’s styling noticeable in a sea of me-too premium vehicles. The lineup includes the Genesis G80 and the larger G90; the bigger challenge will be to take the bones of the swoopy New York Concept to the production version of the G70. It’s not every day you get to launch a luxury brand, but Donckerwolke and Genesis have a chance to redefine the look of premium vehicles.
22. Matthias Müller
Volkswagen AG CEO
2016 Rank: 18
In the unenviable position of succeeding Martin Winterkorn as CEO of Volkswagen following the diesel scandal, Matthias Müller has soldiered on amid investigations, lawsuits, criticism, and mounting costs to fix the mess. He has to defend decisions to handsomely compensate buyers in North America but not in Germany. As fixes become approved and are executed, Müller’s tougher longer-term challenge is restoring faith in the VW brands.
21. Dave Pericak
Ford Performance Director
2016 Rank: 19
The global rollout of the Mustang was a warm-up, albeit a huge one, to the big show: the Ford GT that went on sale in late 2016, less than two years since the concept was first unveiled and just months after its triumphant return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Mustang and GT are but two of 12 new performance vehicles Ford will introduce by 2020, including the debut of the Focus RS on our shores. Collectively, they are helping to raise the profile of the Blue Oval.
20. Akio Toyoda
Toyota CEO and President
2016 Rank: 13
Toyota has made some big changes. It killed the Scion youth brand after a 15-year run and redistributed vehicles across other brands. And the automaker is making inroads on its ambitious plans to reduce its global platforms and streamline manufacturing costs and efficiencies under the TNGA platform. But revenue and operating income are expected to decline for the 2017 fiscal year, and Toyoda approved the highly polarizing Lexus, Mirai, and Prius styling that even the most loyal insiders fear may be damaging the brand.
19. Ian Callum
Jaguar Director of Design
2016 Rank: 25
Jaguar had its critics when it announced it would enter partner Land Rover’s turf with, gasp, an SUV of its own. But Callum’s eye for luxury and strict adherence to Jaguar’s DNA created the sporty and glamorous F-Pace, an SUV that somehow incorporates iconic Jaguar sedan styling and that will never be mistaken for a Land Rover. Meanwhile, the busy Jaguar studio also created the XE and XF sedans, which stay loyal to Jaguar tenets while looking to the future.
18. Carlos Ghosn
Renault/Nissan Chairman and CEO
2016 Rank: 12
Carlos Ghosn continues to show the world how to run a successfully merged company with global platforms and continued cost savings providing the capital to keep cars like the GT-R fresh. The proposal to buy a controlling 34 percent stake in Mitsubishi shows his shrewd business acumen and unfettered determination to not let anything—including a scandal at a partner automaker—stand in the way of business.
17. Raj Nair
Ford Chief Technical Officer and Head of Global Product Development
2016 Rank: 16
Raj Nair is a driving force behind a push to performance vehicles and injecting better performance into regular vehicles. He is as passionate about the Ford GT and F-150 Raptor as he is about developing autonomous vehicles. Nair is also overseeing the continued development of turbocharged engines, nine- and 10-speed transmissions, and the use of lighter materials, all while keeping Ford in the sales hunt with a strong lineup of crossovers and pickups.
16. Jim Farley
Ford Europe, Middle East, and Africa President
2016 Rank: Unranked
When Jim Farley was sent to oversee struggling Ford of Europe, he was viewed by some as the new captain on the Titanic. But the out-of-the-box thinker has sailed the division into profitable waters and is crafting a product strategy to compete against luxury nameplates without a luxury brand of its own in the market. And in a move dear to his heart, he has added Mustang and other performance vehicles to the European sales platter.
15. Håkan Samuelsson
Volvo Car Group CEO
2016 Rank: 6, The Brand Specialist
Volvo’s award-winning XC90 has been followed by the S90 sedan and V90 wagon, which are equally impressive and show a consistency of vision that is transforming the Swedish brand. Concepts of the 40 Series reveal impressive attention to detail, even in a small entry-level car. Unique Volvo models are now made in China, and a Volvo plant is being built in South Carolina.
14. Ola Källenius
Daimler Member of the Daimler Board of Management responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Marketing and Sales
2016 ranking: Unranked
Källenius is the heir apparent to Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche in 2020. He may be only 46, but the road to the top job appears wide open. Mercedes-Benz’s global sales grew on his watch as head of marketing and sales. In 2017 he takes over as head of Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development, replacing the retiring Thomas Weber. He has a quiet but compelling manner about him. The automaker is also determined to stay on the forefront of technology for electrified and autonomous vehicles.
13. Thomas Doll
Subaru of America CEO
2016 Rank: 1, Motor Trend Person of the Year
Last year Thomas Doll catapulted from a No. 42 ranking to our Motor Trend Person of the Year for steadily guiding an automaker that knows its product and loyal customer. Subaru has built an image around pet-friendly, affordable all-wheel-drive cars that make those who drive them look smart. Sales in the U.S. market grew 13 percent to more than half a million last year and were pacing up a further 4 percent through the first nine months of 2016—double the industry rate. That’s quite the feat given Subaru doesn’t sell a single truck.
12. Peter Schreyer
Hyundai President and Chief Design Officer
2016 Rank: 3, The Designer
Success breeds more responsibility. For Schreyer, it means he now oversees the design direction for Hyundai, Kia, and the new Genesis luxury brand he helped launch in January—each with a distinct look and place in the marketplace. The fledgling Genesis brand is expected to introduce six new vehicles, including cars, crossovers, and SUVs, by 2021. In hiring former Lamborghini and Bentley design boss Luc Donckerwolke and nominating him as his successor, Schreyer has also shrewdly put in place a strategy to ensure the momentum is maintained once he retires.
11. Mary Barra
GM Chairman and CEO
2016 Rank: 11
Barra took the top job at GM in January 2014, but she was able to make her mark on the company in dealing with the ignition switch crisis. Starting 2016 by adding the title of chairman, she has worked to create a vision for the company that embraces electric vehicles, ride-sharing, and autonomous vehicles without losing sight of the core cars and trucks that generate profits and define the company.
10. The Disruptors: Jeremy Clarkson and Andy Wilman
The Grand Tour Presenter and executive producer
2016 Rank: Unranked
They worked together to turn an old-school BBC motoring program into a global television phenomenon, Clarkson the star in front of the camera and Wilman the brains behind it. The Top Gear story ended dramatically in 2015 when Clarkson was fired by the BBC. Mere months later, Clarkson and Wilman stunned the TV industry by announcing a deal said to be worth $200 million to produce 36 hour-long episodes of a new program, The Grand Tour, for … Amazon. If broadcast and cable TV operators needed proof their cozy world is about to change forever, this single deal was it. And for a show about men behaving badly with cars, no less.
9. The Brand Specialist: Johan de Nysschen
Cadillac President
2016 Rank: 21
The decisions to operate Cadillac as a separate entity with headquarters in New York, to develop distinctive platforms, to target ambitious growth plans, and to raise the price and status of the lineup have raised some eyebrows. But de Nysschen deserves credit for sticking to his convictions of unique sedan platforms and for not using incentives to reverse a U.S. sales slide. He says Cadillac cannot rely on GM charity and must make it or break it on its own. But de Nysschen is firm in his commitment to put Cadillac on par with the German and Japanese luxury brands, and he has the character to drive it.
8. The Futurist: Tim Cook
Apple CEO
2016 Rank: Unranked
The Apple Car: an elusive project shrouded in mystery. Yes, Apple wants to be part of the autonomous car movement—but is it merely as a software provider and owner of the valuable data from millions of lines of code in a vehicle? Recent rumors have swung from Apple buying supercar-maker McLaren to dialing back the program to being a creator of software for any and all automakers. Cook has kept the world guessing with cryptic answers as he hires and fires key people from the automotive world and sets up secret labs and test areas in California and Berlin.
7. The Product Developer: Mark Reuss GM
Executive Vice President Global Product Development, Purchasing, and Supply Chain
2016 Rank: 14
Sure, he’s a quintessential car guy who loves V-8 Corvettes and Camaro Z/28s, but Reuss is unrelenting in his pursuit of better products across the GM lineup. That includes not just better styling and advanced technology but also embracing a mixed material philosophy to reduce weight and diving headlong into the potential of autonomous driving and ride-sharing. Under his leadership, GM does some things better than the rest of the pack, including infotainment systems and start/stop technology. And the Bolt just beat Tesla to the punch in producing an affordable electric vehicle with an all-day driving range.
6. The Outsider: Lewis Hamilton
F1 World Champion
2016 Rank: Unranked
Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton spends a lot of the year on the road—and at his pied-à-terre in tony Monaco. But the Brit who grew up on a council estate outside London now calls a luxury ranch in Colorado home. Hamilton is not only the first black driver in F1, but he’s also now one of the highest-paid sports stars in the world. Asked last year by Esquire about being a black role model, he said he didn’t feel a responsibility as such but noted: “When I was racing as a kid, and throughout my entire career, I never ever came across another black family.”
5. The CEO: Dieter Zetsche
Daimler Chairman and CEO
2016 Rank: 7, The CEO
Under Zetsche, Daimler continues to keep Mercedes fresh and relevant with plans to introduce 30 new vehicles in seven years. The new Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a technological tour de force and a giant step toward autonomous driving. With perfect timing, the automaker has just overhauled its utility vehicles, complete with new names, right as the market is thirsting for crossovers and SUVs. The AMG performance brand is tightly integrated with the three-pointed star, its cars now badged Mercedes-AMG. Zetsche’s contract has been renewed through the end of 2019, and he shows no signs of slowing down.
4. The Engineer: Stefano Varisco
Ferrari Head of Vehicle Dynamics
2016 Rank: Unranked
An accomplished pianist in his spare time, the quietly spoken Varisco is the man responsible for overseeing the development of Ferrari’s innovative Side Slip Control vehicle dynamics system, which has helped make cars such as the Ferrari 488 GTB and GTC4Lusso ride and handle so astoundingly well. Under Varisco, Ferrari has made its electronically controlled chassis tuning and driver aids work seamlessly together in real time to deliver a singular vision as to how a modern Ferrari should feel on the road but—critically—without the end result seeming anything other than totally organic to the driver.
3. The Designer: Robin Page
Volvo, Head of Interior Design
2016 Rank: Unranked
Volvo’s interior designer was hired away from Bentley, and his skills are evident in the beautiful XC90, our 2016 SUV of the Year, which managed to separate itself from the cookie-cutter look of the growing field of crossover vehicles. The coolly elegant new S90 sedan and V90 wagon are clear departures from the German luxury school. His imagination and execution show no boundaries, evidenced by the glittery playfulness of an Orrefors crystal glass gearshift amid the studied surfaces and sophisticated materials that now define a modern Volvo interior. His next challenge: making his vision work in the new range of smaller Volvo vehicles now under development.
2. The Performance Guru: Tobias Moers
Mercedes-AMG CEO
2016 Rank: 5, The Hot-Rodder
Moers is leading the transformation of AMG from Mercedes-Benz’s in-house tuning shop into the world’s most popular performance brand; he’s spearheading the development of cars such as the 911-fighting Mercedes-AMG GT S, which won Motor Trend’s Best Driver’s Car in 2015. And there’s more coming, including the high-performance, V-8-powered AMG 63 series versions of standard Mercedes vehicles, the new lineup of V-6-powered AMG-lite 43 series models, and complete AMG car lines such as X290, a family of four-door hatchback coupes. And to celebrate AMG’s 50th anniversary next year, Moers wants an AMG hypercar with an F1-inspired hybrid power unit.
1. Person of the Year: Elon Musk
Tesla Motors CEO
2016 Rank: 26
A charmer and conjurer of dreams, Musk possesses a hypnotic voice and the ability to answer a question as if you are witnessing the answer being formulated in front of you. At times mercurial but also self-deprecating, he creates an intimacy and illusion of transparency rare in a CEO. Musk has cast a spell over tens of thousands of consumers willing to buy his self-professed imperfect products. Lines of would-be Model 3 buyers forked over $1,000 deposits and raised $400 million in instant capital for an electric car no one had seen. And despite some well-chronicled teething problems with the Model X—oh, those falcon doors—the order banks remain strong, and his followers remain true. You can endlessly debate whether Musk is the best or worst thing to happen to the industry, whether Tesla can maintain its capital standing, whether Tesla is actually profitable, or whether it has the capability to leap from manufacturing 50,000 up to 500,000 units in less than a year. Regardless, there is no other company or CEO generating more interest in the industry today. And he does this while running companies that launch rockets into space and attempt to convert America’s key energy source to solar.
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