For Gracias, the Tesla and SpaceX investor and Musks friend, the 2008 period told him everything he would ever need to know about Musks character. He saw a man who arrived in the United States with nothing, who had lost a child, who was being pilloried in the press by reporters and his ex-wife and who verged on having his lifes work destroyed. He has the ability to work harder and endure more stress than anyone Ive ever met, Gracias said. What he went through in 2008 would have broken anyone else. He didnt just survive. He kept working and stayed focused. That ability to stay focused in the midst of a crisis stands as one of Musks main advantages over other executives and competitors. Most people who are under that sort of pressure fray, Gracias said. Their decisions go bad. Elon gets hyperrational. Hes still able to make very clear, long-term decisions. The harder it gets, the better he gets. Anyone who saw what he went through firsthand came away with more respect for the guy. Ive just never seen anything like his ability to take pain.

Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance