I have just reread Ayn Rand's 'Atlas Shrugged'.
You can watch the on YT - it is the story of the men (and women) of substance who withdrew their abilities from society because they were despised.
Then I watched this interview, about business people leaving South Africa (my country of birth)
Then I thought - what difference Elon would have made in South Africa. Below is the summary (provided by AI) of a South Africa with and without Musk over the last 20 years.
In short, one man would have halved the poverty rate and doubled the wealth and productivity.
Read that again: ONE MAN DID IT! (or could have - if they let him.)
So yeah, as you revel in the 'equality' provided by BEE (affirmative action), you can also bask in the glory of mutual destitution as you decry the unfairness of rich people creating wealth.
| Metric | Actual South Africa (2006-2026) | Musk Stays in South Africa |
| Average Annual GDP Growth | 1.5-2% | 2.5-4% (double actual rate) |
| Nominal GDP (2006) | $271 billion | $271 billion |
| Nominal GDP (2025) | $426-443 billion | $600-800 billion (double) |
| Cumulative Economic Addition | Baseline | +$200-500 billion |
| Per Capita GDP (2025) | $6,667-6,830 | $9,000-12,000 (double) |
| Unemployment Rate (mid-2000s) | 22-25% | 22-25% |
| Unemployment Rate (2025) | 31.9-33.2% | 20-25% (one-third lower) |
| Youth Unemployment (2025) | >60% | Significantly reduced |
| Number Unemployed | 8-10 million | ~5-7 million (half) |
| Jobs Created | Baseline | +200,000-500,000 (incl. ~100,000 direct tech) |
| Poverty Reduction | Baseline | 10-20% decrease |
| Global Innovation Index Rank | 61st of 139 | Potential top 30 (half the poverty) |
| Brain Drain Cost | ~1% of GDP annually | Reversed (net brain gain) |
| FDI Attracted (20 years) | Standard flows | +$50-100 billion |
| Annual Exports | ~$75 billion (commodity-heavy) | Diversified tech exports |
| Wealth/Market Value Added | Baseline | +$100-300 billion |
| Gini Coefficient | 0.63 | 0.50-0.55 |
| Poverty Rate | 68% of population | Substantially reduced |
| Government Debt | 79.5% of GDP | Potentially lower |
| GDP Projection by 2030 | ~$500 billion (1.2-1.5% growth) | $700 billion - $1 trillion (3-5% growth) - double |
