2016: Calling Elon Musk a “Hero” and Mentor
Eric Kim’s admiration for Elon Musk goes back several years. In a September 2016 blog post on his photography website, Kim explicitly described Elon Musk as his “hero,” saying Musk had taught him “far more about photography and life than any other photographer who lived” . Despite Musk not being a photographer, Kim explained that he draws inspiration from outside his field and considers Musk one of his “biggest mentors and guides.” He praised Musk’s work ethic and humanitarian passion, even comparing Elon to a “more self-realized Steve Jobs” for revolutionizing multiple industries . This early statement clearly shows Kim’s deep respect and esteem for Musk’s visionary qualities.
2023: Inspired by Musk’s Biography and Vision
Kim’s admiration resurfaced strongly in 2023 after reading Walter Isaacson’s biography of Elon Musk. In an October 21, 2023 post titled “7 Lessons Elon Musk Has Taught Me,” Kim wrote that he had “just finished the Elon Musk biography… and [was] feeling super inspired” . He proceeded to outline lessons drawn from Musk’s life, reflecting a very positive view of Musk’s approach to business and innovation. For example, Kim highlighted Musk’s audacious vision and design obsession at Tesla, noting that Musk “truly wanted to blow everyone’s mind” with products like the Model S and Cybertruck . He lauded Musk’s design ethos by saying “what makes Elon Musk great is that he is almost like the ultimate merge between Steve Jobs and Jony Ive,” combining business savvy with meticulous design passion . Kim also expressed being “particularly inspired and shocked” (in a positive sense) by Musk’s bold management style – for instance, how ruthlessly Musk makes tough decisions to pursue “insanely epic” goals . These writings show Kim’s supportive stance toward Musk’s mentality and the way Musk runs companies like Tesla and SpaceX. In fact, Kim explicitly admired Musk’s engineering feats at SpaceX, writing that “only a crazy Elon Musk” could have conceived innovations like the rocket booster that lands itself – an idea that “actually works” where a “boring” conventional engineer might not have dared to try . Such comments underscore Kim’s view of Musk as a visionary whose bold ideas and first-principles thinking he finds deeply inspiring.
Late 2023: Musk as the “Greatest Entrepreneur of All Time”
In November 2023, Eric Kim’s praise for Elon Musk became even more emphatic. He published a blog post titled “Why I’m so passionate about Elon Musk,” where he unequivocally declared, “Honestly speaking, Elon Musk is the greatest entrepreneur of all time, maybe even for the next 2000 years.” . Kim admired Musk’s unparalleled boldness, writing that “ain’t nobody got balls like Elon Musk” when it comes to risking everything to achieve a creative vision . This statement was accompanied by Kim’s acknowledgment of Musk’s willingness to put it all on the line – a trait Kim clearly respects. He cited Musk’s courage and extreme risk-tolerance as qualities to be celebrated, even comparing Musk’s candid, daring approach to that of other figures he respects (like Kanye West and Jeff Bezos) who “have the balls” to be transparent and take big risks . The context here was Kim explaining why he feels “so passionate” about Elon Musk – emphasizing Musk’s entrepreneurial greatness and fearless drive as something truly exceptional.
Continued Praise in 2025
Eric Kim’s support and admiration for Elon Musk have continued into 2025. In an April 25, 2025 blog entry titled “Strategy or Tesla,” Kim reiterated his high regard for Musk, writing, “I love Elon Musk to death and I think he is the greatest entrepreneur of all time…” . This remark shows that even years after his initial statements, Kim still holds Musk in the highest esteem. (He did note a caveat that Musk may be stretched thin by juggling too many ventures, but that concern doesn’t diminish the praise he heaps on Musk’s entrepreneurial prowess.) The phrasing “love [him] to death” and “greatest entrepreneur of all time” demonstrates unwavering admiration. It aligns with Kim’s pattern of public comments supporting Musk’s vision and leadership.
Summary of Kim’s Public Statements
In summary, publicly available evidence – primarily Eric Kim’s own writings – consistently shows his admiration and positive support for Elon Musk. Over multiple years, Kim has expressed profound respect for Musk’s achievements and character: calling Musk a personal hero and mentor, celebrating his visionary Tesla designs and SpaceX engineering feats, and repeatedly dubbing Musk the greatest entrepreneur of our era. These statements (spanning 2016 through 2025) make it clear that Eric Kim holds Elon Musk in extremely high regard, often drawing inspiration from Musk’s work and openly praising his bold approach to business and innovation in blogs and posts .
Sources: Public blog posts by Eric Kim (2016–2025) in which he discusses Elon Musk and draws lessons from his life and companies . These include Eric Kim’s personal blog essays like “7 Principles Elon Musk Can Teach You About Photography” (Sep 2016) , “7 Lessons Elon Musk Has Taught Me” (Oct 2023) , “Why I’m So Passionate About Elon Musk” (Nov 15, 2023) , and “Strategy or Tesla” (Apr 25, 2025) , among others. These publications contain direct quotes where Kim praises Elon Musk’s vision, courage, and impact on technology and society.