Elon Musk gained the title of the richest person on earth, but he is so much more than that. With his controversial views and even more bizarre business strategies, the man has earned quite a reputation for himself. He can also be titled as one of the most influential people on earth, given the clout he has and his recent attempt at buying Twitter. So what makes him one of the greatest minds and entrepreneurs of our times? Is he really a genius? What does he do that sets him apart from other billionaires?

Take risks at the most challenging times

David Suarez/Unsplash. Elon Musk is known for his untraditional ways and controversial opinions, and it sets him apart from other billionaires.

Elon Musk has a history of pouring gasoline on fire. In the dotcom boom at the turn of the century, he founded Zip2, an online business that provided city guides and directories for daily papers. Within four years, he was a dotcom billionaire, sellingZip2 for a whopping $307 million.

Make business personal:

Jon Tyson/Unsplash. Musk was one of the first people to bring media inside SIlicon Valley and show behind the scenes of tech giants.

He was one of the firsts to utilize the camera and brought media into Silicon Valley. As the public knew very little about how Silicon Valley and the VC money worked, his invitation to the cameras as they recorded his success made him an instant Silicon Valley icon. What the entrepreneurs can learn from this interview that he gave that day is to carve your niche, ride on a pop culture wave and only then you will be able to make your mark in a complex and saturated industry.

Even though we have all been told not to mix the professional with the personal, Elon Musk defied this common piece of wisdom and merged his persona intricately into any business he created, whether it was Tesla or SpaceX. He did so that he is not cut out of his business, as happened early on in his career, with both Zip2 and X.com. He then strategically built his personal and public persona revolve around his businesses,so they are two inseparable identities.

Set impossible standards:

Ricardo Arce/Unsplash. He set seemingly unachievable standards for himself and his businesses, and that led to exponential growth.

Musk again took the unconventional path, and instead of chasing doable goals and working slowly towards attainable goals and profitability, he chose to do the impossible. His plans to take humanity to Mars before he dies, for instance, sound unachievable and unrealistic, and that is what makes the public root for him. As a budding entrepreneur, your goals should be more than earning a profit. They should inspire and motivate your team, and should make your company engaging for the public eye.