It’s hard to stay out of the headlines when you’re as innovative as Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The automaker’s leader has changed how we live, think, and perceive the world. Sure, EVs and SpaceX come to mind, but Musk is also known for controversial comments. He’s pretty liberal in sharing his unpopular worldviews on social media.

And in a recent Twitter exchange, Musk admitted blame for getting himself into trouble. He tweeted, “I dig my own grave a lot,” demonstrating he’s aware of his uncanny knack for making controversial comments.

Elon Musk is no stranger to controversy

You can count on more than two hands how many times Elon Musk has tweeted or publicly shared an unpopular, radical statement. And he doesn’t seem to care about backlash, even when he supported crazy ideas like the notion that aliens built the Egyptian pyramids. He once called a British cave diver a “pedo guy” and suggested we drop a nuclear bomb on Mars to warm the planet, creating an online flurry of negative responses, Business Insider reported.

Elon Musk isn’t shy about sharing personal bizarreness, either, at least in the eyes of the mainstream public. He once compared his work mentality to that of a samurai, citing he would rather “commit seppuku” than become a failure. He also wished he could find a way to get nutrients without wasting time eating meals. And adding to even more controversial personal sentiments, he admitted needing to make time to date, asking if five to 10 hours a week would be enough for a woman to feel like a girlfriend.

Must got brutally honest on Twitter: ‘I dig my own grave a lot’

A July 25 tweet from Twitter user Pope of Muskanity compared Elon Musk’s knack for controversy to the video game character Mario’s bobbing and weaving through a series of onscreen challenges. Musk noticed and replied, “I dig my own grave a lot,” with a winking emoji.

Avoiding controversies isn’t Musk’s strong suit, and it appears he agrees. But as Republic World points out, this authentic candor and ability to speak his mind might be how he has endeared himself to fans and millions of Twitter followers, despite his unpopular sentiments.

He must be doing something right

Despite finding himself in hot water an awful lot, Elon Musk must be doing something right. After all, he is one of the planet’s wealthiest people and responsible for some of the 21st century’s most game-changing innovations. In addition to heading SpaceX and Tesla, Musk also dabbles in other ventures, including SolarCity, OpenAI, and The Boring Company. 

CNET reported in April that Musk ranks second for global wealth with a net worth of $151 billion. But other sources say he has already reached $160 billion. And making that kind of money demonstrates a fierce passion for business and a high degree of savviness. 

Elon Musk is many things — innovator, EV developer, engineer, forward-thinker, modern leader. He’s also ridiculously controversial. But that doesn’t seem to take any wind out of his sails. And it’s probably why many people respect him, regardless of what he says.