Elon Musk has had a tough year.
From a $20 million fine from the Securities and Exchange Commission to maliciously calling a critic a “pedo,” Mr. Musk’s erratic behavior has damaged his once-promising reputation as an innovative entrepreneur who shoots for the stars.
But what is America if not the land of redemption? And, in a recent 60 Minutes interview, Mr. Musk mentioned a proposal that could quickly and deservedly redeem him in the eyes of thousands.
Mr. Musk indicated he would consider purchasing the U.S. factories that General Motors recently announced it was idling, such as the one in Lordstown, Ohio. “It’s possible that we would be interested. If they were going to sell a plant or not use it that we would take it over,” Mr. Musk said.
That comment is far from a guarantee that Mr. Musk or his companies would pursue such an idea. But it is something and that is decidedly better than the nothing that GM recently offered the communities that surround its shuttered factories.
After a year of questionable-at-best decisions, it would seem that Mr. Musk screwed his head on correctly for this idea. Not only would additional facilities help his car company Tesla produce more Model 3 midsize sedans, as the company wants to do, but restoring thousands of jobs to the heartland would endear him to countless Americans.
Mr. Musk may have to find business partners with deep pockets and straighter heads than his own to really sell people on the reality of this proposal. But if he were to make this dream become a reality, Mr. Musk could transform his public image and bolster his company’s business prospects almost overnight.