Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk unveiled a “master plan” for his Tesla electric car company this month.
The reviews, it would be fair to say, were far from delivering a verdict of mastery. Investors harrumphed over his desire to branch out into solar energy. Analysts complained about scant details. Tesla’s stock sagged. It seemed that the man who is often said to be the inspiration for Tony Stark, the brash tycoon in the Iron Man movies, might finally have lost his knack for vision.
Yet in one respect at least, namely the clarity of the master plan itself, Mr Musk retained his power to impress — giving a masterclass in jargon-free business communication that others would do well to copy.