I think that systemic interest in investment in fundamental economic improvements has declined while systemic investment in financial vehicles (pardon the pun) is rampant. This would be ok if the financial vehicles were connected to economic well being, but that link is increasingly tenuous.

It basically takes a crazy, put it all on the line billionaire to assemble technologies, but why doesn't the economic system regularly do this? Musk is great, but I think his skill, much like Jobs, is excellent integration of a number of existing technological possibilities. Why is Musk, as an individual, the one of the few that can do that at scale, vs industries that have in actuality more resources than Musk.