Does Elon Musk Have a Surprise in Store at South By Southwest?

By Tim Beyers – Mar 11, 2013 at 4:07PM

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The tech icon takes the stage Saturday to talk Tesla, SpaceX, and who knows what else.

Once more, Fool contributor Tim Beyers is at the annual South By Southwest conference in Austin, Texas, to hear a variety of speakers talk about tech and innovation. None has him so excited as Elon Musk, the iconic and combative co-founder of SpaceX and Tesla Motors (TSLA 2.00%).

There was no title attached to Musk's keynote. Since this video was filed before Musk's Saturday afternoon speech, it's possible that the news will be anticlimactic for you. Regardless, Musk is a galvanizing figure. From his fights with The New York Times to SpaceX's audacious reach for the stars -- including a possible mission to Mars -- his pursuit of big ideas makes him the unofficial poster boy for Southby's teeming masses.

Do you believe Musk is a change-the-world entrepreneur in the mold of Steve Jobs? A snake-oil salesman disguised as a serious businessman? Tim offers his own view in the following video. Please watch, and then leave a comment to let us know what you think.

Fool contributor Tim Beyers is a member of the Motley Fool Rule Breakers stock-picking team and the Motley Fool Supernova Odyssey I mission. He didn't own shares in any of the companies mentioned in this article at the time of publication. Check out Tim's Web home and portfolio holdings, or connect with him on Google+, Tumblr, or Twitter, where he goes by @milehighfool. You can also get his insights delivered directly to your RSS reader.

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