Time named Elon Musk its 2021 Person of the Year.
Time announced the selection in December 2021, highlighting Musk's influence through Tesla, SpaceX, and his public role in technology and business. The magazine's annual title recognizes the person or group judged to have had the greatest influence on the year's events, for better or worse.
The award was presented to Musk as an individual, not to Tesla or SpaceX. A common mix-up is confusing this honor with Forbes rankings, which separately list wealthy people and business leaders. Musk's 2021 selection followed a year in which Tesla remained a major electric-car company and SpaceX expanded its launch and human-spaceflight activities.