Psychology Faculty Publications

Document Type

Report

Publication Date

11-1-2026

Disciplines

Child Psychology | Developmental Psychology | Leadership Studies | Other Psychiatry and Psychology | Personality and Social Contexts

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a developmental causal analysis of the adult personality of innovative entrepreneur and business leader Elon Musk, from the conceptual perspective of personologist Theodore Millon.

Psychodiagnostically relevant data relating to Musk’s personality were collected from biographical sources and media reports and synthesized into a personality profile using the Millon Inventory of Diagnostic Criteria (MIDC), which yields 34 normal and maladaptive personality classifications congruent with DSM-III-R, DSM-IV, and DSM-5-TR.

The findings of the personality assessment were previously reported in a separate paper. Musk’s primary personality patterns were found to be Ambitious/self-serving and Dominant/controlling, supplemented by secondary Dauntless/adventurous, Outgoing/congenial, and Contentious/resolute patterns and a subsidiary Conscientious/respectful tendency.

Ambitious individuals are confident and self-promoting; they believe in themselves and their talents and expect others to recognize their special qualities. Dominant individuals view themselves as self-reliant and competent; they enjoy the power to direct others and to evoke respect and compliance. Dauntless personalities have a strong need for independence and tend to flout societal norms; they are prone to acting impulsively and engaging in high-risk activities. Outgoing individuals thrive on being the center of attention; they are prone to boredom when faced with ordinary, repetitive, or mundane tasks and may display impulsive tendencies. Contentious personalities are independent-minded, cynical, headstrong, and resolute; they are quick to challenge the status quo and are willing to speak out to remedy troublesome issues. Conscientious personalities have a strong work ethic and pay careful attention to detail; they are persistent in difficult circumstances and may be inflexible in deviating from their principles.

The primary purpose of the present study was to investigate whether Musk’s empirically established adult personality patterns accurately postdicted critical elements of his childhood experiential history from the perspective of Millon’s hypothesized causal analysis of the developmental precursors of adult personality patterns. Walter Isaacson’s 2023 biography, Elon Musk, provided source material for information regarding Musk’s formative childhood experiences.

Evaluating Musk’s adult personality composite through the lens of his childhood experiential history revealed varying degrees of theoretical support for Millon’s hypothesized developmental precursors. Musk’s Dominant/controlling and Dauntless/adventurous patterns demonstrated high congruence with his reported childhood experiences, particularly his exposure to parental hostility, emotional neglect, and an unstable home environment. Musk’s Ambitious/self-serving, Outgoing/congenial, and Contentious/resolute patterns showed moderate concordance with Millon’s developmental model. Finally, developmental evidence for Musk’s subsidiary Conscientious/respectful tendency was less conclusive. Overall, Musk’s childhood experiences provide suggestive support for Millon’s theoretical framework, although the findings also highlight the complexity of tracing adult personality patterns to early developmental experiences.

Comments

The research was conducted at the Unit for the Study of Personality in Politics (USPP), a collaborative faculty–student research program in the psychology of politics at St. John’s University and the College of St. Benedict in Collegeville and St. Joseph, Minnesota, directed by Aubrey Immelman, PhD, associate professor of psychology, who specializes in the psychological assessment of presidential candidates and world leaders. 

Research website: http://personality-politics.org/ 

The research was partially funded by a College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University Department of Psychology summer research fellowship in 2025. 

Related reports 

The Personality Profile of Innovator, Entrepreneur, and Business Leader Elon Musk » https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/psychology_pubs/154/ 

The Influence of Childhood Experiential History on U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s Personality » https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/psychology_pubs/153/ 

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