Time magazine has named Elon Musk, the richest man in the world and CEO of electric car maker Tesla and rocket company SpaceX as its Person of the Year 2021.
“The richest man in the world does not own a house and has recently been selling off his fortune,” Time writes in tribute. “He tosses satellites into orbit and harnesses the sun; he drives a car he created that uses no gas and barely needs a driver. With a flick of his finger, the stock market soars or swoons.”
In his editor’s letter explaining the decision, Time editor-in-chief and CEO Edward Felsenthal writes, “Person of the Year is a marker of influence, and few individuals have had more influence than Musk on life on Earth, and potentially life off Earth too. In 2021, Musk emerged not just as the world’s richest person but also as perhaps the richest example of a massive shift in our society.”
The announcements were made during a video presentation on YouTube Monday morning. The media outlet moved its big reveal to the video platform after previously unveiling it on network TV.
In addition to its main honoree, Time also announced an Entertainer of the Year, and Athlete of the Year, and Heroes of the Year. The Entertainer of the Year was singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo, the Athlete of the Year was gymnast Simone Biles, and the Heroes of the Year were “Vaccine scientists and the miracle of mRNA.”
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