I cannot find a single thing about him that’s likable. His ideas are all fucking stupid, and he only got to where he is now through rampant exploitation, disregard for safety in his factories, and stealing the “founder” title from every company he bought. He literally just bought his way to the top, and for some reason people see him as a deity. He isn’t charismatic, like a cult leader, and he gives off the impression that he peaked in middle school. So what about him is so likable to people? I don’t get it, and I probably never will.
part of it, i think, is that if you're a true believer in capitalism, you have to believe that the people who rise to the top are the most worthy. another factor is people who are so myopic in their love for electric cars and/or space travel that they are completely uncritical of tesla and spacex. a third one is that he does low-effort pandering to r*ddit types, which does actually work on some people.
I know that all cultures have a lot to owe to legends and stories, but it seems like the entire world has mentally seen itself as part of one of those stories. Porky's the main character, and we're all meaningless background figures that at best, we can exist to do behind the scenes work to make porky feel even more like a hero.
Speaking of which, imagine if one these fuckers just made a fund and donated like 70% of their wealth to solve climate change, and succeeds. They would be hailed as heroes for all eternity, even IF they are the ones responsible for it in the first place, and it would definitely make our job as leftists much harder when people point to them and say "I TOLD YOU we can trust business to do the right thing!"