Billionaire Investor Ron Baron defends 'unconventional' Elon Musk

Baron Capital Chairman and CEO Ron Baron is pretty optimistic about his position in Tesla, despite all the recent media attention towards Elon Musk.

The billionaire investor appeared on CNBC’s Squawk Box on September 13 to talk about Walter Issacson’s latest book about Musk among other topics, but to also defend his large positions in both Tesla  (TSLA) - Get Free Report and SpaceX.

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He admitted to the morning show hosts that he, at times, was skeptical as an investor, noting that “it made me crazy when I saw some of the things that he was doing,” but went on to his defend Musk by characterizing him as an innovative, yet unconventional visionary.

“If he was conventional, it would have never happened,” Baron said about Musk. “He’s the guy that got us electric cars, he’s the guy that got us to space. […] He’s a very funny engaging, smart, incredibly hardworking person.”

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Baron also recalled a story that Musk told him about his childhood, where his strained relationship with his father led him to spend time alone reading encyclopedias. He cites this experience as testament to his faith and trust in Musk.

“He would go home and read the encyclopedia; that was his nickname from his mom. He has a photographic memory,” said Baron. “What amazes me about him now, when you ask him ‘how do you do that’, ‘how do you know that?’, ‘how do know what these things are?’ - he knows everything, it’s a photographic memory.”

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