I know what you're saying but I actually think 'intelligence' and 'doing-what-you-need-to-do-to-achieve-a-degree' are two different things.
EDIT: his degrees in physics and economics also seem pretty shady - particularly his physics one. Seems he didn't graduate when claimed and had a couple of courses still to complete and then magically a couple of years later the university dropped its requirement for those courses to be completed... This was at the University of Pennsylvania which, would you believe, he has made a 'generous endowment gift' to (though this seems to be years later). More here:
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/musk-physics-degree/
i think youre trying to underplay what it actually takes to do a physics degree. One doesn't simply just "do the tings required to achieve the degree". This isn't early child hood learning or aged care which you can bumble through after leaving school at the age of 12. There is a hell of a lot of pre requisite knowledge and intelligence required to be able to even have a basic understanding of what the fuck is going on and how to apply it. Its not all dropping apples while standing on a chair and writing down your observations. The guy also actually understand what his engineers are doing and can have meaningful conversations about the work. That doesnt just happen.
As to not graduating when he claims, he graduated. I cant remember the exact year i finished my studdies either. I use a range of dates when having discussions with people and i KNOW I've used different years before, because i don't stop and count it out every time it comes up because i value the flow of discussion rather than trying to pin down a superfluous detail. But given his status in the world, people think of this as a "gotcha" moment. Its not. He graduated. theres record of it. What difference does it make when or what the requirments were? Requirments change all teh time in academia, and given the fluidity of physics, thats no surprise at all. You dont just walk in and get a physics degree. or pay for one. The guy isn't stupid. Making a donation to the school you graduated from many years after doing so? so what? I think most billionaires have done this because its a token of appreciation for what the eduaction the received has helped them achieve. Wouldn't you if you had so much money that money didn't actually matter to you anymore for the benefit of other future students?
Trump on the other hand is exactly the type of guy who would have paid somone do do his work for him and reaped the benefits. He is actually stupid. When you listen to these two individuals speak about their projects or passions or goals, you can very clearly tell who knows what they are talking about. Trump's success, if you can call it that, comes from questionable activities, deals and bribes, endorsements etc. with just as questionable people as himself. AND his followers are also actually stupid. We see this every time a MAGA card carying suporter opens their mouth. Trump is the walking unhinged dunning-Kreuger graph and ponzi scheme.
Elon on the other hand, for all his flaws, actually does shit that is valuable. Started an EV revolution, built the infrastructure to make it happen even when there was little demand for it at the time and continues to iterate on it. He moves fast, promises big and still deliveres something of value. Space x does shit that the most well funded governments haven't done or thought to do. The guy has a vision for a better future. Whether people share the same view or vision is highly contentious, but its a far brighter one than the vision Trump is touting, which is white, right and capitalist untill the world burns.
Elons getting a basting right now because of the twitter shit, and so he should, because he seems to have completely lost the plot. Still 1000% better than trump. I wouldn't even compare the two in a serious conversation, or kanye for that matter.
Elon - Aspergers (diagnosed)
Kanye - bi polar (diagnosed)
Trump - Narcisist with an anti social personality disorder (observed and commented on by many professionals in the mental health space - trump would never admit or seek a diagnosis for this in any case, just as many with these diagnoses would never willingly do - because you know, its not them, but everyone else)
You just cant put these people in the same bucket or compare. At least Kanye is "productive" in making music and fashion (if you can call these ventures that). Trump isn't even in the slightest productive. He is destructive and exploitative in almost everything he does. Also question marks around his association with epstein. Given his publically know attitudes towards women, I would not be surprised if he partook in epteins offerings. Not exactly a hallmark of someone i would consider intelligent or smart.
www.theguardian.com
www.independent.co.uk
