Usually, #ElonMuskDay is trending on June 28 — his birthday — but this year it came a bit earlier. The idea of 4/20 for many people is to celebrate smoke day, smoking weed. As you’ve probably known since high school, 4/20 or 4:20 is associated with smoking weed. There are different historical explanations of why that’s the case.
But what does this have to do with Elon Musk? At first, nothing — until he dated Grimes. Apparently, he was not aware of the association until that time. Then he decided to make a weed joke regarding Tesla stock when he floated the idea of taking Tesla private. As he has said, he calculated a decent increase in the stock price from what it was at back then and the result happened to be very close to $420, so he just made that the target number for taking Tesla [TSLA] private. I thought the joke was cute. The things we do for love. As we know by now, though, that didn’t turn out too well and it cost him $20 million.
So, that’s why 4/20 is the day some have chosen to celebrate Elon Musk, but what’s the actual reason behind #ElonMuskDay?
https://twitter.com/RealLifeStarman/status/1252237841234452480
“I’m not trying to be anyone’s savior. I’m just trying to think about the future & not be sad” — @elonmusk
SpaceX, Tesla, Neuralink, …
All these companies came into existence to ensure the future will be better, not worse. Thanks for making the world dream again #ElonMuskDay pic.twitter.com/Nc7uUcCgMX— Viv 🐉 (@flcnhvy) April 20, 2020
Happy #ElonmuskDay Thank you @elonmusk! The @Tesla community is absolutely the best part of what you unexpectedly created by following your passions and dreams. 🙏🏽🔋⚡️🇺🇸🚀 pic.twitter.com/uswf3qBVbC
— 🌮TACOS +⚡️TESLAS (AL) (@TacosandTeslas) April 20, 2020
It is time~~~ 4/20
Happy #ElonMuskDay 🙌🏻🙌🏻
— Vincent 🚀🟠 (@vincent13031925) April 20, 2020
I'm thankful for @elonmusk and @Tesla's efforts to make cleaner vehicles more affordable, solar more sexy and affordable, and the batteries to store power for when we need it. The future is now! #ThanksElon
— Kyle Field (@mrkylefield) April 20, 2020
The electric vehicle industry would probably be a decade or more behind where it is today if it wasn’t for Tesla.#ThanksTesla #ElonMuskDay
— Zach Shahan (@zshahan3) April 20, 2020
The idea came from a few of my Twitter friends — Anuarbek Imanbaev, Eli Burton, Sofiaan Fraval, and Ross Gerber — who wanted to create a celebration of this movement and the most influential person behind it. They were actually planning a party at Gerber’s house to celebrate 4/20, but due to the coronavirus, it was canceled. Even if one door closes, there’s still a window or a crack in the wall. If not, then just go through the wall. This idea is going through that wall brilliantly.
The more specific idea is, as Eli Burton told CleanTechnica, to celebrate Elon Musk now rather than waiting till he dies. We often wait too long to celebrate our heroes and monumental people in society. Why wait? On #ElonMuskDay, the request is that we share ways that the products of Elon Musk’s companies have changed our lives for the better or ways in which Elon Musk himself has inspired us.
“All the great people — we always appreciate them when it’s too late. Even Nikola Tesla, for that matter, he created so many great inventions, but he died broke in a single apartment in New York by himself. I said, you know what? Why are we waiting? Let’s do it now. Aprils 20 is going to be the first Elon Musk Day. I just mentioned the idea but everybody jumped on it immediately — they said, this is such a crazy time now, a little bit of positive news is going to be good for us,” Anuarbek told EV Annex.
#ElonMuskDay is about much more than one man. It’s a community, family, friendship. It’s about humanity, clean air, and progress for future generations. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
— Sean Mitchell (@seanmmitchell) April 20, 2020
I, personally loved this idea. After what I went through with my ex two years ago, having Elon Musk being super kind to me when I was completely shattered, and how this community of Tesla-owning, space-loving people who were once strangers on Twitter has just embraced me and empowered me, I immediately wanted to participate. I wouldn’t have come this far in my own healing if it wasn’t for the warm and loving support of this community. And that wouldn’t have happened without Elon Musk tweeting to my now deleted Twitter account that day:
Love this from P&P: “One has got all the goodness, and the other all the appearance of it.” Reminds me so of my Nana, who was very stern & strict & yet kindest of all. Believe in good.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 10, 2018
In my video, I used a quote from Alex Boye’s song “Celebrate.” You see, we should celebrate those in our life today — not when they are gone. I reversed the quote but the message is clear: Love conquers hate.
#ElonMuskDay is trending on 4/20 so here’s why I’m celebrating pic.twitter.com/BCYNvPTlIw
— Jewelry by Johnna (@JewelsByJohnna) April 20, 2020
“Lemme tell you why we celebrate.
You know love will always conquer hate.
So leave your stressin’ in your yesterday
Just keep it going’ for a better day
Bless up bless up bless up bless up
Never give up, give up give up
So stand up, stand up, stand up, stand up
And get your hands up hands up hands up
And celebrate”
–Alex Boye
The reason why this particular song came to mind was that Alex had an original version and then a birthday version that he wanted to celebrate his own birthday with. The idea behind that was celebrating one’s own self worth and reminding ourselves that it is okay to celebrate yourself. I wanted to take that message and send it to Elon Musk — as we celebrate you on Twitter, you should also celebrate yourself.
And as we celebrate Elon Musk, remember, we should celebrate our community. After all, the people truly hold the power.
#420 Today, I wonder…where we would be if @elonmusk didn’t exist. 🤔 Although he has accomplished so much, if Elon’s life is baseball game, I believe he is still at the top of the 3rd inning and he has so much more to offer this world. Happy #ElonMuskDay https://t.co/fnRoUcV2Gu pic.twitter.com/1nBAac4Sh6
— Anuarbek Imanbaev (@anuarbekiman) April 20, 2020
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