If you’re going to read only one article about Elon Musk desperately trying to befriend grumpy New York Mets fan Nathan Fielder, make it, “Elon Musk Has the World’s Strangest Social Calendar.” (Actually, make it two: “Elon Musk Has the World’s Strangest Social Calendar” and this blog post you’re currently reading. Thank you.)
Writing for the New York Times, reporter Joseph Bernstein details how the Tesla CEO “seems to be living the teenage years he never had — parties, drugs, popular friends, beautiful girlfriends, jokes cracked to an adoring audience — without quite escaping his own innate insecurity.” Musk’s cool kid club ambitions have occasionally come true, like how he appeared on both Rick and Morty and The Simpsons, but not always.
Mr. Musk has, in particular, pursued a friendship with one comedian whose public image revolves around the outrageous steps he takes to relate to other people: Nathan Fielder, who first became famous for his Comedy Central show Nathan For You… Mr. Musk — a huge fan — invited Mr. Fielder to lunch at SpaceX in 2016. For years afterward, the famous businessman invited the famous fake businessman to his parties and would strain to make the deadpan Canadian laugh.
Musk and Fielder have communicated on Twitter, although it appears not since 2016.
Shoot me into space please https://t.co/5PqRJs9UsN
— nathan fielder (@nathanfielder) February 18, 2016
When Musk tweeted back, “Don’t you already have a spaceship?” with a reference to Nathan for You, Fielder replied, “we haven’t figured out re-entry yet. Or anything besides sex sounds. @elonmusk to be honest though I don’t really care about re-entry.”
One awkward dinner party chat with Musk, and he’s ready to leave Earth permanently.
(Via the New York Times)