TIME has chosen a Particular person of the 12 months for almost 100 years.
Elon Musk has been named TIME’s 2021 Particular person of the 12 months, because the one individual the corporate believes has had essentially the most affect — for higher or worse — on the world up to now twelve months.
Musk is the second richest individual on the planet, and has risen in prominence to a family identify in recent times due to ventures akin to his electrical automotive firm Tesla, spaceflight program SpaceX and his unfiltered Twitter commentary.
The billionaire from South Africa has dominated headlines in 2021, generally triumphant and generally in disgrace.
In September, for instance, SpaceX launched the primary all-civilian mission to house. The following month, Tesla was ordered to pay $137 million to a Black worker who accused Musk’s auto firm of ignoring racial abuse.
In September, TIME launched an inventory of the 100 most influential folks of 2021. Elon Musk was on that record, foreshadowing his eventual nomination and naming as 2021’s Particular person of the 12 months.
The title, which is bestowed on the finish of the yr by TIME’s editors, isn’t essentially an honor. It’s the journal’s try to spotlight the one that has had essentially the most affect on the world over the previous yr, and has more and more in recent times been used to spotlight these whose yr in evaluate seems to be an instance of extra affect transferring ahead.
Celebrities and political leaders showcased on the seven particular covers saying TIME’s 100 most influential record included Prince Harry and Meghan, gymnast Simone Biles, actor Kate Winslet, singer-songwriter Billie Eilish, director-general of the World Commerce Group Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, CEO of NVIDIA Jensen Huang and author Cathy Park Hong.
That record of influential folks additionally included 10 local weather leaders, dozens of advocates for a wide range of subjects and 54 ladies, together with 18-year-old Olympic champion Suni Lee, who was the youngest to be featured in TIME’s high 100.
Final yr, TIME named then-President-elect Joe Biden and Vice chairman-elect Kamala Harris in a twin nomination, beating out finalists Donald Trump, Dr. Anthony Fauci and the motion for racial justice.
TIME has chosen a Particular person of the 12 months for the previous 93 years, and has expanded the choice to varied different classes together with Businessperson of the 12 months and Entertainer of the 12 months.
