I think it's important to reason from first principles rather than by analogy. The normal way we conduct our lives is we reason by analogy. [With analogy] we are doing this because it's like something else that was done, or it is like what other people are doing. [With first principles] you boil things down to the most fundamental truths…and then reason up from there.

Starting and growing a business is as much about the innovation, drive and determination of the people who do it as it is about the product they sell.

I started SpaceX with the expectation of failure.

If you think back to the beginning of cell phones, laptops or really any new technology, it's always expensive.

The United States is definitely ahead in culture of innovation. If someone wants to accomplish great things, there is no better place than the U.S.

With artificial intelligence we are summoning the demon.

The first step is to establish that something is possible; then probability will occur.