Elon Musk reveals 3 names he considers ‘smartest’ in ‘human category’

Elon Musk participated in Republican senator Ted Cruz's podcast show ‘Verdict with Ted Cruz’

Published on: Mar 21, 2025, 08:27:29 IST

By HT News Desk

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World's richest man Elon Musk picked three tech titans as the “smartest” people he ever met while speaking with Republican senator Ted Cruz on his podcast “Verdict with Ted Cruz.”

Elon Musk leaves following a luncheon with members of the Senate Republican Conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., US. (REUTERS file)

The podcast hosted by Cruz claims to offer viewers an in-depth discussion on current political events and issues.

Launched in January 2020 during US President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, the podcast provides listeners with Cruz's perspectives on various topics. The show features Cruz alongside co-host Ben Ferguson, a conservative commentator, and is updated semiweekly.

ALSO READ | Elon Musk to get access of Pentagon’s 'top-secret plans' for potential war with China

Watch the video here

Who are Musk's picks

Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency under Donald Trump, was asked which CEO he considers as “good” apart from himself.

The SpaceX CEO picked Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, and first CEO and Google co-founder Larry Page among a lot of people who have achieved “difficult things.”

Elon Musk added that these people are smart for the “human category”.

SpaceX's rivalry with Bezos' Blue Origins is well known as the two private space companies harbour high exploration ambitions.

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Musk also shares a long-standing bond with Ellison, who committed $1 billion while serving on the Tesla board from 2018 to 2022 for Musk's acquisition of Twitter.

The DOGE head also complimented Larry Page and said a person's achievements could be used to evaluate his intelligent quotient (IQ). “To some degree, smart is as smart does,” Musk said.

Judge stops DOGE from ‘unbridled access’

Meanwhile, a US District Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander of Maryland said Musk's team was intruding into “the personal affairs of millions of Americans” as part of its hunt to find federal government fraud and waste.

The judge halted further record sharing with DOGE and said the Social Security Administration likely violated privacy laws by giving Musk's aides “unbridled access” to the data of millions of Americans.

“The DOGE Team is essentially engaged in a fishing expedition at SSA, in search of a fraud epidemic, based on little more than suspicion. It has launched a search for the proverbial needle in the haystack, without any concrete knowledge that the needle is actually in the haystack,” Hollander said.

(With agency inputs)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
HT News Desk
Follow the latest breaking news, major developments and agenda-setting stories from India and around the world with the newsdesk at Hindustan Times. Operating round the clock, the desk brings together experienced editors, reporters and correspondents to deliver fast, accurate and contextual reporting across subjects that influence public policy, governance, business, society and international affairs. The HT News Desk covers politics, elections, government policies, the economy, business and markets, science and technology, the environment, law and order, infrastructure, education, climate issues and geopolitics, while closely tracking developments across states, institutions and global capitals. The team also leads coverage of major breaking news events, policy announcements, court proceedings, natural disasters, public emergencies and significant international developments. Reports published by the newsdesk are based on information gathered from reporters on the ground, official statements, government agencies, court records, regulatory filings, recognised institutions and other authoritative sources. Stories undergo editorial scrutiny and verification processes to ensure accuracy, fairness and relevance, and are updated as events evolve and additional information becomes available. Whether covering a key political decision in New Delhi, an economic policy shift affecting millions, a landmark court ruling or a major global event, the HT News Desk aims to provide readers with reliable, fact-based journalism that delivers not only the latest developments but also the context and analysis needed to understand their wider implications.Read More

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