I Changed My Mind. And I’m Keeping It in Plaid Mode.

There aren’t many people I won’t respect.

If you reach the pinnacle of your field—whether that’s building software, winning elections, or running the world’s largest hedge fund—I may not agree with you, but I’m going to respect you. That includes Bill Gates. Barack Obama. Bill Clinton. Steve Jobs. Donald Trump. And LeBron… even though he has to stop flopping.

Let’s be honest: success at that level isn’t luck. It’s not easy. And it’s not something you stumble into. It takes talent, resilience, vision, and relentless drive. That kind of merit demands acknowledgment. Which is also why I’m glad there are centi-millionaires in Trump’s cabinet.

But of all the entrepreneurs in the last 100 years, I think Elon Musk might be the most talented human alive.

Think about it:

• He builds rocket ships—and lands them. He did what NASA couldn’t.

• He makes the best car on the planet—and sells it direct. We’ll chat more about that.

• He bought Twitter, broke censorship, reshaped American politics, and is turning X into a platform built for AI.

• He’s got robots, solar, chips, Starlink satellites—and somehow still finds time to tweet 100 times a day.

It’s absurd. And it’s real.

Coming from oil and gas, having lived and breathed hydrocarbons my whole life, I believed in combustion. I was—let’s call it what it was—anti-Tesla. Not because of Elon, but because mandates, subsidies, and virtue-signaling EV adoption rubbed me the wrong way. It felt like a rigged game.

And then came the Ukraine war. On March 5, 2022, Elon tweeted:

“Hate to say it, but we need to increase oil & gas output immediately. Extraordinary times demand extraordinary measures.”

“Obviously, this would negatively affect Tesla, but sustainable energy solutions simply cannot react instantaneously to make up for Russian oil & gas exports.”

That’s when I started to listen more closely.

I watched his Rogan interviews. Saw him on SNL. Read Walter Isaacson’s biography (the best book since Atlas Shrugged, if you haven’t read it). And something clicked: I’m no Elon, but I know what it’s like to be misunderstood. Only a handful of people really know what drives me. And I think the same is true for him.

In my view, Elon saved America. If Kamala Harris had become president, and the Biden administration’s climate extremism, reckless spending, and DEI mandates had continued unchecked, we would’ve never solved the debt crisis, the deficit, or restored merit.

So, after the election—after Trump won, and Elon’s role in freeing the narrative and punching holes in the media machine became undeniable—I bought a Tesla Plaid as a thank-you.

And I can say, without hesitation: it is the greatest car I have ever driven.

Full stop. Not close.

I’ve owned BMWs, Audis, and Range Rovers. I’ve been in a McLaren going 125 mph. None of them are in the same league. The Tesla Plaid is silent, lightning-fast, and completely reinvents what driving feels like. I haven’t “punched” it with a Tesla newbie who didn’t scream in shock. When I say it drives like a fighter jet, I’m not kidding.

And yes, I drive it in Plaid Mode. Because if you can go zero to 60 in two seconds… why wouldn’t you?

But this post isn’t about cars.

It’s about changing your mind.

At some point, we have to grow up. We have to stop letting tribalism blind us. We have to stop believing that admitting the other side was right makes us weak. Whether it’s your wife, your kids, your ex-business partner, or even your political “opponent”—sometimes they’re just right.

The Tesla Plaid is a masterpiece.

The company isn’t worth what it trades at, and no, the world won’t be 100% EVs. But the car is amazing. And I was wrong—but I saw the error of my ways. Eventually. We need more of that.

Not more outrage.

Not more doubling down.

Just honesty.

Here’s one: Trump has some good ideas.

Immigration was a real problem, and now we have 20 million illegals in the country as a result. We have to do something. But the rule of law still matters. Democrats can—and should—support a path forward that honors both, but press conferences in El Salvador aren’t it.

TDS is real. And it’s one reason Trump isn’t even trying to work through Congress. That has to change.

We need more collaboration. We need to be able to say we were wrong—and acknowledge it as strength, not weakness. Even Trump needs to do that.

The tariff strategy is looking increasingly precarious. Removing tariffs on Chinese electronics was a bad look. The Japanese saying “The U.S. doesn’t even know what they wan…” is a bad look. And calling Jerome Powell a loser? Not productive.

Yes, Trump is right: tariffs aren’t inflation. Yes, interest rates should trend lower. But it’s the bond market that’s in control now. And the 10-year is saying something different.

If Trump really wants to win the economy, he has to pivot. Because it’s OK to be wrong. I’m not bailing on “let the man cook” and try tariffs. But where we are headed in these last few days? No bueno.

Pivoting and admitting something can be better executed is important, especially when the country is at stake.