Whether you love him or loathe him, billionaire Elon Musk's future plans could impact your life in some way, but that might not have always been the case. A new Channel 4 documentary, Elon Musk: Superhero or Supervillain? has shined a light on a period in which the Tesla CEO could have died before achieving anything he set out to do.
In 2001, during his second attempt at a honeymoon, Elon contracted the most severe case of malaria that you can get. The condition, which could have proved fatal, was described as a "turning point" for Musk in the Channel 4 film, as it was the moment that he set out to make his dreams of space travel a reality.
"When he's on that near-death bed, he starts to think: what is he doing with his life? What's next? What is going to be his life ambitions and you start to see him think about space travel," one Elon Musk biographer said.
Elon, 50, even wrote on Twitter that prior to a formal diagnosis, he was misdiagnosed of malaria and said that he was, "36 hours from being unrecoverable". The incident was, ultimately, a crucial moment in the SpaceX founder's life.
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Elon Musk: Superhero or Supervillain? is inspired by Musk's appearance with Stephen Colbert six years ago. In the clip, which has 12 million views on YouTube, Colbert asks the billionaire how he feels to be compared to Marvel's Tony Stark (played by Robert Downey Jr) and asks the question, "are you a superhero or supervillain?" The Channel 4 documentary explores this question and features interviews with people who know Elon and have worked with him.
Musk has recently been making headlines for his purchasing of social media platform, Twitter. The entrepreneur is also a champion of green tech and intends to launch his SpaceX rockets to Mars.
Interestingly, the documentary also interviews those that have gone to war with Elon and makes viewers question whether they have faith in what he is trying to achieve.
What do you think? Elon Musk: superhero or supervillain? Let us know in the comments. The documentary airs on Channel 4 on Monday, May 16 at 9pm.
