Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been named Person of the Year by Time magazine.
“Person of the Year is a marker of influence, and few individuals have had more influence than Musk on life on Earth, and potentially life off Earth too,” Time editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal wrote. “In 2021, Musk emerged not just as the world’s richest person but also as perhaps the richest example of a massive shift in our society.”
Since 1927, Time has recognized the best male and female figures of the year, as well as groups, movements, or ideas that had the most influence over the past year. US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were named Person of the Year together in 2020.
Time has also expanded its franchise in 2019 by introducing additional categories. Pop star Olivia Rodrigo has been named Artist of the Year and four-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles has been named Athlete of the Year. Previously known as “Guardians,” Heroes of the Year went to the scientists who worked on the mRNA covid-19 vaccine, specifically Katalin Kariko, Barney Graham, Kizzmekia Corbett and Drew Weissman.
Time did not release a shortlist of contenders for ‘Person of the Year’ this year, unlike previous years.
In a sign of normalcy for publishers forced to cancel in-person events during the pandemic, Time is hosting an event on Monday evening in New York to celebrate its Person of the Year and TIME100 members.
