‘Worst choice ever’: Time magazine faces backlash for naming Elon Musk 'Person of the Year’ for 2021
Story highlights
Time magazine’s choice for 'Person of the Year' 2021 has not gone down well with several critics, who have slammed the publication. It is being called ‘worst choice ever’ as billionaire Elon Musk has been criticised for opposition to unions, attitude towards tax and playing down Covid dangers
Time magazine’s choice for 'Person of the Year' 2021 has not gone down well with several critics, who have slammed the publication. It is being called ‘worst choice ever’ as billionaire Elon Musk has been criticised for opposition to unions, attitude towards tax and playing down Covid dangers.
Let’s change the rigged tax code so The Person of the Year will actually pay taxes and stop freeloading off everyone else. https://t.co/jqQxL9Run6
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) December 13, 2021
Time had described Musk as a “clown, genius, edgelord, visionary, industrialist, showman” while talking about his achievements.
It was the “worst choice ever”, said Kurt Eichenwald, an author.
I held back on saying much about Time selecting Elon Musk as person of the years until I read their reasoning. In a year when the developers of the mRNA vaccines have saved millions and helped restore global economies, the selection of Musk this year may be the worst choice ever.
— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) December 13, 2021
Musk has been opposing a “billionaires tax” floated by some lawmakers in US. He and some other super-wealthy people in the country paid tax at a very small rate in comparison to their significant rise in wealth from 2014 to 2018, said a probe by Propublica this year. Musk allegedly paid only a “real” rate of 3.27%.
In a tweet, Senator Elizabeth Warren said that the decision of the Time magazine highlights the need for the tax code to be reformed “so the person of the year will actually pay taxes and stop freeloading off everyone else”.
Maybe @TIME ought to change its definition of those deserving recognition — given the time we live in. https://t.co/Ql53aFk3ux
— 💫 Margaret Sullivan (@Sulliview) December 13, 2021
In 2020, Musk also played down the dangers of Covid.
(With inputs from agencies)