His parents owned an emerald mine during apartheid where the working conditions for miners (all black, of course) could accurately be described as slavery. He was literally walking around with emeralds in his pockets like some fucked up little prince.

Anyway, that's how he got his startup capital.

[–] redballooon@lemm.ee 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (5 children)

There's no need for anyone in the western world to frown upon that. Literally all of us started out with the wealth that our ancestors violently extracted from colonies.

Just because you didn't personally inherit millions doesn't change the structural fact. All our industries jump-started by getting stuff from colonies. It was a big rush among the colonizers, and those who didn't do successful colonize are not among "first world" countries today.

Musk is guilty of much, but his sin in benefiting from his parents sins is different from yours only in scale.

[–] 67void@lemmy.villa-straylight.social 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

yea. not sure how true this is, but i do remember reading that the emerald mines business wasn't as profitable as people think it is or smthg.

[–] redballooon@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago

Admittedly it is not 100% true for all first world countries, when we’re discussing outside Europe it’s a slightly more complex. For America it was not colonialism but imperialism, but that doesn’t change the moral argument. Those states in Asia that are first world I don’t know enough to talk confidently (and with that you know I’m not ChatGPT)

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