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in collaboration with
Amélie Boukhobza (Clinical psychologist)
Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Steve Jobs, Bryan Johnson… The personality of billionaires remains, for ordinary mortals, a mystery in its own right. But the former wife of Elon Musk revealed some precious secrets on this subject…
Have you ever wondered what Bill Gates, Warren Buffett or Steve Jobs have in common? Justine Musk knows it. In a message posted on the Quora forum, the writer and first wife of Elon Musk recounted the extraordinary personality of the Tesla CEO, which largely explains his success.
Billionaires with “extraordinary” personalities
According to PurebreakJustine Musk’s post was a response to another post that asked how people like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Richard Branson and her ex-husband, Elon Musk, “could reach such heights of success“.
His response was immediate: “Extreme success is the result of extreme personality and comes at the cost of many other things“.
According to Justine, people who have achieved global success not only have incredible professional qualities (or even a special form of talent), but also “a state of mind obsessive” which pushes them to work day and night. This was also admitted by Bill Gates, who did not believe in vacations or rest.
“Be obsessed. Be obsessed. Be obsessed“, that’s the key, underlines the writer, who lived with Elon Musk before he became a billionaire.
In her writings, the author also reveals that the boss of Tesla presents a significant narcissistic flaw: he is obsessed with recognition from his peers. A character trait, which can apply to other billionaires.
“These people tend to be nerds and misfits who have been forced to experience the world in unusually stimulating ways throughout their lives. They have developed strategies to survive, and as they age, they find ways to apply these strategies to other aspects of life and create a distinct and powerful advantage for themselves. They don’t think like others. They see things from angles that lead to new ideas and perspectives.“
Good in his body, good in his head!
For Amélie Boukhobza, clinical psychologist, the success of these extraordinary figures can be easily explained.
“Their relationship to risk is different. Where many hesitate, they charge forward. They are not afraid. It’s not that they don’t feel fear, but they seem to turn it into a driving force. This audacity is accompanied by an almost obsessive long-term vision, which allows them to see opportunities where others only see a wall. she admits.
But there is also a downside! “These ultra-perfectionist personalities are often inhabited by an endless quest: that of surpassing oneself“warns the expert.”For some, this need comes from chronic dissatisfaction or an intense need for recognition. It is not uncommon to find, in their home, a childhood marked by frustrations or very strong parental ambitions. We should take a closer look at life courses, that would be fascinating!”
Finally, their relationship to power is central.
“Being a billionaire isn’t just about accumulating zeros in a bank account. It’s about having an impact, influencing the world. Be careful, this desire for control can also isolate them and make personal relationships more complex to manage.” underlines the practitioner.
“In short, they are not just lucky people or isolated geniuses. We find in them a mixture of ambition, resilience, ability to manage failure and certainly also stress. An extraordinary personality, but not without flaws“, she concludes.
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