Featured Doer: Elon Musk

Physicist. Entrepreneur. Philanthropist. Those titles don't usually mix together. But we're talking about Silicon Valley's Renaissance Man here, and with Musk, anything goes and everything fits. After all, the South African native is the co-founder of PayPal (imagine conducting online business without it), the CTO of SpaceX (a space transport company) and CEO and product architect of Tesla Motors (where he designed one of the first electric cars). He's probably investing on his newest venture as you read this.

Did we mention that he's also rocket scientist? And chairman of SolarCity, which sells and installs solar panels? The South African native just can't sit still, and we wouldn't have it any other way.

He is one of 15 candidates for a video interview in our HuffPost Spotlight Series, presented by HP. The top five question-getters will be interviewed using your questions.

Question submissions for the Spotlight Series are now closed. Thank you for your questions and stay tuned for our interviews with the top five question-getters!

Comments

[beholder]

09:31 AM on 06/04/2010

When do you project Tesla will be able to bring to market a plug-in car for under $35,000? And
how will your newly announced association with Toyota help?

[HyBride]

03:16 AM on 06/03/2010

how quickly, now that you have joined toyota, will the tesla wagon be available? and congratulations, by the way!

[Bud777]

04:20 PM on 06/01/2010

This article says you designed the Tesla. Is that correct? I thought you joined the company and provided capital after the car was essentially done

[Orcas Island]

06:28 PM on 05/25/2010

I've been to the Palo Alto Tesla office several times to check out these great cars. I also think Fisker Automotive is building one great machine. Congratulations on the pact with Toyota/Nummi plant.

We hear over and over again how electric cars are no panacea and that power derived for same is 'dirty'. Baloney. It is much easier to control pollution at single source utilility plants than it is for the millions upon millions of 'dirty' gas-combustion, oil-dripping autos that have covered this planet.

Green power is on the way. Washington state is putting in windmills along the Columbia River, in Kittitas County....its happening. I have faith.

[amitofu]

06:48 AM on 05/25/2010

SpaceX has developed two rocket systems in eight years in an industry where program life-cycles are usually measured in decades. Will SpaceX continue to develop new vehicles after Falcon 9 and Dragon are operational? Or will you primarily focus on production and operations of your existing systems?

[GayGrandpa]

04:44 AM on 05/25/2010

How would you plug the oil leak?

[John Kennedy]

06:49 PM on 05/24/2010

Please give us a time frame for solar to become inexpensive, say $100 per panel retail without government incentives.

[leevntheus]

01:51 PM on 05/24/2010

Electric cars, rfid embedded electrical outlets in every home or business, cell phone hook up, and Pay Pal all create the "perfect storm" for EV's to be unshackled from the burden of "range anxiety"and municipalities' and business' obligations to install site specific expensive and illogical "charging stations" (unless charging stations are everywhere and available constantly, the idea of a station is completely futile in the face of actual user habits and needs). EV owners can charge anywhere, anytime. Specialized charging "stations" not needed. Anyone can join as a networked "supplier"...vast new markets of business that cater to EV's can open immediately without expensive "charging station" installation. The technology is already here, off the shelf. The electric grid is like today's cell or internet backbone. A whole new EV commerce can emerge if freed from dependence on line voltage Big Utility commerce monopolization. The commerce itself can grow to become bigger than the Utilities themselves, exerting powerful influence on the Utility markets of the future.

The Question: Have you considered, will you, and can you successfully lobby to end Big Utility federal monopoly of electricity resale?

[jayes]

06:03 AM on 05/22/2010

Why would you ramp up production in one of the highest cost labor markets in the country? (it's one thing if you only need a few highly skilled workers, but at some point, you want to make a few cars right?)

[Winthorpe]

01:17 AM on 05/22/2010

Imagine conducting online business without PayPal? Hmmm, let me think... I always have.

[SD61]

10:23 PM on 05/21/2010

Hello Mr. Musk:

Do you play golf, like your countrymen Gary Player, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Tim Clark, Trevor Immelman, or Rory Sabbatini? If so, what is your handicap (or 'index')?

[Helixtwice]

05:31 PM on 05/21/2010

When will battery technology become good enough that it is a viable alternative to a gasoline engine to the extent that it will overtake petrol engines in the public preference?

[Steve Brian Davis]

03:36 PM on 05/21/2010

Can you help me sell my provisional patent before it expires in July?
It is for a green-production method of hydrazine which can be used in hypergolic drives systems or in reprocessing of nuclear waste (molecular scavenger).
It is under USPTO serial# 61/213,610 - provisional, if you want to read and review the process.
It is better than all 3 current methods (the Raschig, Ketazine, and Peroxide processes), I use an freshwater flowering nuisance plant, available in all southern states.

[Tristan CA]

04:15 AM on 05/21/2010

When can we expect space flight to become feasible for the average person? Undoubtedly there is more work to be done in the field of propulsion, but at current prices for mere sub-orbital flight, very few people can afford the luxury of going beyond our atmosphere. Surely by making it less expensive you could attract more people and receive even greater sums of investment capital in return?

[Tristan CA]

04:13 AM on 05/21/2010

Electric cars are currently suffering from poor public perception due to various flaws such as design, speed, range, re-charge times, and most importantly: price. Are there any companies working on fixing most or all of these issues? Until they are rectified, people will continue to use gas vehicles, further damaging our environment.