Muskism and the shift in corporate power

In the latest episode of The Big View, Peter Thal Larsen probes this transformation with Quinn Slobodian, co-author of the book Muskism. Their conversation examines whether the billionaire's influence represents a permanent structural change in how corporations interact with the state and society. By operating outside the standard constraints of public markets and traditional corporate governance, Musk has created a model that prioritizes individual ideological control over collective investor consensus.

Slobodian argues that this movement is not merely a product of one man's personality but a calculated rejection of the late-20th-century capitalist consensus. As SpaceX reaches valuations that dwarf historical industrial giants, the discussion highlights the risks of tying such immense economic power to the shifting political whims of a single individual. The episode forces a re-evaluation of whether modern markets can—or should—accommodate a form of enterprise that thrives on polarizing public discourse while managing critical global infrastructure.