Last year, British cartoonist Daryl Cunningham (author Putin’s Russia: The Rise of a Dictatorand other searing non-fiction books) writes Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX and Twitteris a biography of the controversial South African billionaire who will now co-lead President-elect Donald Trump’s new Department of Government Effectiveness. Although the book was published by Delcourt in France, it has struggled to find a publisher in the English-speaking world. Yesterday, Cunningham shared on his Patreon page that the publisher was apparently scared of the potential legal ramifications of releasing the book:
I understand that many international publishers have expressed interest in the recent Frankfurt Book Fair but are also concerned about the possible legal consequences. This shouldn’t have been a problem since I was careful not to write anything that hadn’t been published elsewhere, and Delcott’s attorneys checked every word and line for questions. However, we now live in a climate of fear in which the worst possess immense power, and as a result, individuals, institutions, businesses and countries will be tempted to seek refuge. Many thanks to Delcott for having the courage to publish this book.
Cunningham’s statement is somewhat surprising, since several books have been written about Musk since his transformation from “visionary” media darling to right-wing thought leader, including Walter Isaacson2023 Biography (simple title Musk), Ben Mezrichof The Twitter Explosion: Musk and the Most Controversial Corporate Acquisition in History (2023), and Kate Conger & Ryan Mackof Character limit: How Elon Musk is destroying Twitter (released earlier this year). Isaacson’s books were criticized by Musk for inaccuracies, which he apologized for and corrected, as well as by Musk’s estranged daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson, but otherwise the books No legal proceedings were initiated.
After signing, Cunningham directed fans where they can buy a French version of his book about Musk and shared three pages from the book (in English), which you can read at the link or below.
For those in the UK who want a French version, you can order a copy from OK Comics in Leeds. These are the first three pages of the book, showing Musk’s political and family surroundings. Based on what I know about the man, I conclude that it is unbelievable that such a mediocre figure could amass such wealth, but that is what it is.
