• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

2

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises

3

Current price of oil as of May 19, 2026

1

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

2

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises

3

Current price of oil as of May 19, 2026
TechInvestors Guide

Elon Musk Is the Most Admired Leader in Technology

By
David Z. Morris
David Z. Morris
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
David Z. Morris
David Z. Morris
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 3, 2016, 11:08 AM ET
Germany's Economy And Energy Minister Sigmar Gabriel Meets Tesla Motors Inc. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk
Bloomberg — Getty Images

In a new survey of hundreds of startup founders, 23% said they admired Tesla and SpaceX head Elon Musk more than any other tech leader. Amazon’s Jeff Bezos came in a distant second, with 10% of respondents giving him the top spot, followed by Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg with 6%, and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs (who passed away more than five years ago) at 5%.

The responses were part of a broader State of Startups survey put together by First Round Capital, a New York-based VC firm whose portfolio includes stakes in Uber, TaskRabbit, and Blue Apron. First Round surveyed over 700 startup founders about everything from the investment atmosphere to growth opportunities.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

This is the second year of the State of Startups survey, and Musk was also the most admired leader in 2015. Over the past year, Musk and his companies have hit huge milestones, including the massively successful announcement of the Tesla Model 3 and the rollout of a plan to colonize Mars. Musk’s Hyperloop concept saw real progress, despite turmoil at Hyperloop One, which is trying to create the Hyperloop without Musk’s direct involvement.

The survey’s other findings suggest big improvements in the atmosphere for startups over the past year. While 73% of founders thought the startup ecosystem was in a bubble in 2015, only 57% thought so this year—and more than half of those said it “won’t pop anytime soon.”

9 out of 10 founders say it’s a good time to start a company. 72% say there will be an increase in acquisitions next year, and 43% believe the IPO market will improve.

The picture for startup employment was also positive. Almost all startups in the survey said they’d be hiring in 2017, and said “hiring good people” was their biggest management concern. 82% of respondents said they’d conducted no layoffs in the past year.

The survey had less rosy findings, as well. 7 out of 10 of those surveyed said that Bitcoin and blockchain technologies are overhyped. Diversity was another weak spot, with the average respondent believing tech hiring is 14 years away from matching the gender and ethnic mix of the U.S. more broadly.

For more on startups, watch our video.

Two other results suggest that while optimism is rampant, it might be encouraging risky decisions. 61% of respondents said their companies were optimizing for growth over profitability, while 51% said they’d increased their rate of spending over the last year. Only 14% of respondents said curbing spending was their “highest priority.”

Notably, the survey was conducted between August and September of 2016, meaning that responses don’t reflect the results of the U.S. Presidential election. At the time of the survey, Hillary Clinton was broadly believed to have a very high chance of winning the Presidency, but there are significant concerns that now President-elect Donald Trump’s stances on immigration and security could adversely impact the tech sector.

About the Author
By David Z. Morris
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

schmidt
AIColleges and Universities
The sound of graduating from college in the AI summer of 2026: boo!
By Heather Hollingsworth, Jocelyn Gecker and The Associated PressMay 20, 2026
13 minutes ago
gen z
AIGen Z
3 reasons kids hate AI—especially the ones who refuse to even try it
By Nick LichtenbergMay 20, 2026
17 minutes ago
Accenture exec says the consulting giant is hiring more entry-level workers out of college compared to last year
Future of WorkWorkplace Innovation Summit
Accenture exec says the consulting giant is hiring more entry-level workers out of college compared to last year
By Emma BurleighMay 20, 2026
1 hour ago
cohen
Startups & VentureAI agents
Meet the brothers who turned a homegrown AI agent into a $12 million bet on the future of work — in six weeks
By Nick LichtenbergMay 20, 2026
2 hours ago
Current price of Ethereum for May 20, 2026
Personal FinanceEthereum
Current price of Ethereum for May 20, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 20, 2026
2 hours ago
microsoft
AIProductivity
America’s new AI map shows something surprising: ‘A lot of normal people are adopting AI’
By Nick LichtenbergMay 20, 2026
2 hours ago

Most Popular

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
Workplace Culture
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
18 hours ago
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
8 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 19, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 19, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 19, 2026
1 day ago
Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
Future of Work
Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
By Mike Householder and The Associated PressMay 17, 2026
3 days ago
Employers are quietly pausing 401(k) matches again. The last time this happened was the 2008 recession and Covid
Personal Finance
Employers are quietly pausing 401(k) matches again. The last time this happened was the 2008 recession and Covid
By Courtney Vinopal and HR BrewMay 18, 2026
2 days ago
Spirit Airlines apologizes to all the Americans who can't afford any summer vacation flights as it shuts down
Travel & Leisure
Spirit Airlines apologizes to all the Americans who can't afford any summer vacation flights as it shuts down
By Rio Yamat and The Associated PressMay 18, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.