Having Asperger’s as an Entrepreneur is a Good Thing

When I ask students who their favorite entrepreneur is, the #1 answer is Elon Musk.

Elon Musk

Mainly because he started and ran multiple companies.  His main focus right now is SpaceX.  Tesla is where most of his wealth comes from (he’s now the wealthiest person on the planet, nudging out Jeff Besos, earlier this year.)

And earlier this year he announced he has Asperger’s.

Having coached and worked with people that have this disorder, they often make really great entrepreneurs.

Why?

  • They are very innovative
  • They tend to be super-focused
  • They love technology
  • They are very intelligent
  • They usually work very hard
  • They tend to have few fears

And while Musk has all of these traits, he is far from perfect (not paying his share of taxes, his views on AI, etc.).

Yet next time you hook up with someone with Asperger’s, congratulate them on being that way!

Stefan