I'll often see people say things like this - or that he's just a PR guy and actually does nothing at his companies - but there are numerous counter-examples and little evidence is ever put forward to dispute them, including from Thunderf00t. The arguments are usually along the lines that he hasn't accomplished everything he says he would, or that his timelines aren't as promised. (sometimes that "this isn't new" / "this was invented by someone else")
Hyperloop
I can give you that one, simply because it's not actually an "invention" - it's an old concept. He was just frustrated that nobody had moved forward with the technology in decades. Perhaps there are good reasons for that, but he decided to devise a (largely hypothetical) scale solution and hype it up using that earned confidence so investors would take a second look. He asked other companies like Virgin to build the technology. It's up to them.
solar freakin' tiles
Are being installed on houses and offices around the world?
autodrive
Not an easy problem to solve. Anyone who understands machine-learning knew he was wrong when he was promoting how "soon" it could happen.
Boring Company
The tunnels they have built so far are not very wide, but they do indeed build tunnels and faster than other machines of the same size. Rather boring work. I don't know what else they could do to make it exciting.
sometimes the things work out
Then that isn't a con-man. Maybe a hype-man. Totally different.
I'll often see people say things like this - or that he's just a PR guy and actually does nothing at his companies
You're arguing a strawman. "Just a". I didn't argue that he was solely, entirely one thing or another.
Oh that car that'll drive itself across country with no human on board will happen next year "trust me". He plays on trust and confidence all the time, so fine you say that's not a confidence man then he's a professional fraudster; the solar city trial for one has evidence of him making claims he knew were false - not just mere hype, but materially false.
Hate to let you down, but when you finally get your robot it's not going to be your substitute girlfriend. Or maybe that's all it'll be.
I'll often see people say things like this - or that he's just a PR guy and actually does nothing at his companies - but there are numerous counter-examples and little evidence is ever put forward to dispute them, including from Thunderf00t. The arguments are usually along the lines that he hasn't accomplished everything he says he would, or that his timelines aren't as promised. (sometimes that "this isn't new" / "this was invented by someone else")
I can give you that one, simply because it's not actually an "invention" - it's an old concept. He was just frustrated that nobody had moved forward with the technology in decades. Perhaps there are good reasons for that, but he decided to devise a (largely hypothetical) scale solution and hype it up using that earned confidence so investors would take a second look. He asked other companies like Virgin to build the technology. It's up to them.
Are being installed on houses and offices around the world?
Not an easy problem to solve. Anyone who understands machine-learning knew he was wrong when he was promoting how "soon" it could happen.
The tunnels they have built so far are not very wide, but they do indeed build tunnels and faster than other machines of the same size. Rather boring work. I don't know what else they could do to make it exciting.
Then that isn't a con-man. Maybe a hype-man. Totally different.
Literal criminal fraudster.
You're arguing a strawman. "Just a". I didn't argue that he was solely, entirely one thing or another.
Oh that car that'll drive itself across country with no human on board will happen next year "trust me". He plays on trust and confidence all the time, so fine you say that's not a confidence man then he's a professional fraudster; the solar city trial for one has evidence of him making claims he knew were false - not just mere hype, but materially false.
Hate to let you down, but when you finally get your robot it's not going to be your substitute girlfriend. Or maybe that's all it'll be.