Elon Musk 4.0: a psychobiography of transhumanism and Frankl’s existential meaning theory

In the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), Elon Musk has become a prominent and influential figure. The South African-born US visionary and entrepreneur is associated with ground-breaking technological and scientific advances, economic transformation, and, in recent times, increasingly with US and global politics (Chang 2020). Companies such as SpaceX, Tesla and Neuralink emphasise his influence and innovative power regarding contemporary science and politics. This article explores the life and work of Elon Musk through the lenses of psychobiography, transhumanist theory and the logotherapy of Viktor Frankl. Transhumanism is a philosophical movement encouraging the use of technology to surpass human limitations. This aligns closely with Musk’s ambitions in space exploration, artificial intelligence and neurotechnology. The partial overlap of Musk’s ideas and attitudes with aspects of transhumanist thought and philosophy is highlighted in the article. Logotherapy is used to further explore meaning in Musk’s life. Findings show that Musk’s vision extends to redefining and expanding the human condition itself, creating a meaningful life, and contributing to a better life for humankind by expanding consciousness and earthly life towards the universe to support the survival of humankind through creative, experiential and attitudinal meaning. Conclusions and future recommendations are provided for theory and practice.