Will anyone ever make sense of Elon Musk?

Understanding Elon Musk is both difficult and essential. As the Atlantic technology editor Damon Beres writes, Musk heads companies “that influence how we live and communicate in this world,” including X and Starlink, an internet service that has played a central role in the war in Ukraine. Although Musk’s headline-generating actions may at times appear to be part of a video-game simulation, his involvement in fields such as social media and space travel will shape the lives of many—and understanding him allows us to decipher a future he is already bringing about.

Today’s newsletter brings you stories about Elon Musk’s impact.

• “Demon Mode Activated,” by Damon Beres. A conversation with Walter Isaacson about his new biography of Elon Musk, the world builder and world destroyer.
• “Why Elon Killed the Bird,” by Charlie Warzel. Three theories about Twitter’s seemingly nonsensical rebrand to X.
• “What Russia Got by Scaring Elon Musk,” by Anne Applebaum. The billionaire isn’t the only one who’s been frightened into holding back help for Ukraine.
• “Elon Musk’s Latest Target Hits Back,” by Yair Rosenberg. A conversation with the Anti-Defamation League’s Jonathan Greenblatt on a feud that is as bizarre as it is predictable.
• “The Nerds Are Bullies Now,” by Ian Bogost. Musk versus Zuck makes losers of us all.

— Katherine Hu, assistant editor