Time names Elon Musk its 2021 Person of the Year
Time magazine picked Musk for the 2021 honor, citing his influence on electric cars, spaceflight and public conversation.
Archive entry. This article looks back at an event from December 13, 2021. It was drafted with AI assistance from public records and is being fact-checked. See our About page.
On December 13, 2021, Time magazine named Elon Musk its Person of the Year. The magazine pointed to his role in building Tesla into a major automaker and SpaceX into a leading launch provider, and to his influence on public debate.
At the time, Tesla's market value had passed $1 trillion, and SpaceX had flown crews to the International Space Station and was developing Starship.
The choice was widely discussed and criticized as well as praised, as Musk's public profile continued to grow.