Could Musk’s authoritarian streak trace back to his Canadian grandfather? Before Joshua Haldeman brought his family to South Africa, he made waves as part of the radical 1930s Technocracy movement. And while the two men’s lives only overlapped for three years, we find echoes of Elon’s worldview in Haldeman’s pro-tech, anti-democratic ideology.

Guests in this episode include:

• Geoff Leo, senior investigative journalist for CBC
• Derek Proudian, early investor in Zip2.com
• Will Shoki, South African journalist and writer
• Adrienne LaFrance, executive editor of The Atlantic

Topics in this episode include:

• The life and lasting influence of Elon Musk’s Canadian grandfather, Joshua Haldeman; his influence within the Technocracy movement and his historical context (the Great Depression and the dust bowl)
• Elon Musk's early career moves, including his time at Zip2.com, PayPal and the "PayPal Mafia,” and the Baasskap (bossism) management style
• The relationship between techno-optimism and authoritarianism, and Marc Andreessen’s “Techno-Optimist Manifesto”