The lessons of the past, however, suggest that nothing is written, due to political unpredictability. John D. Rockefeller, who had made Standard Oil a vast monopoly, had supported William McKinley, a president he thought he had in his pocket. McKinley was assassinated in 1901, and his replacement was Theodore Roosevelt, a man Standard Oil had unwisely recommended for vice president. Once installed in the White House, Roosevelt was the architect of the dismantling of Rockefeller’s monopoly. Lesson One: Vice presidents, including Donald Trump’s understudy JD Vance, can be more dangerous than they appear.
Another historical lesson: Henry Ford. Like Elon Musk, he reinvented the automobile industry, was very popular and held hate speech against left-wing policies. Many presidents loved his cars, but he eventually grew exasperated. Woodrow Wilson kicked him out of the White House in 1915 after he offered to negotiate to end World War I.
At the head of Ford in the 1970s, Lee Iacocca reconnected with the White House. He persuaded Richard Nixon to protect the auto industry against Ralph Nader’s security attacks and obtained loan guarantees for Chrysler from Jimmy Carter. Then he fell out with Ronald Reagan, who made it easier to import foreign cars.
-In the United States, bosses who stay away from power often end up regretting it. Like Rockefeller, Bill Gates initially ignored the anti-monopoly lawsuit against Microsoft, which he ultimately lost. He then advised the young Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook) not to alienate Washington. He told him: “Get an office there, right now. » In any case, you must be courteous and considerate. Tim Cook (Apple), once close to Barack Obama, looked after Donald Trump from the start of his campaign, and the latter was delighted: “He’s a great leader, because he calls me and others don’t. »
Elon Musk is more instinctive than Tim Cook, but he is possessed, like everyone else, by a feeling of power. He is undoubtedly convinced that he will pull the strings of the White House. He should be wary: history suggests it’s never that simple.
