02/22/2025
Despite the risk of being targeted I cannot sit silent. I submit the following Open Letter to Elon Musk
Dear Elon Musk,
My name is Victoria StJohn, I write to you as a seasoned expert on gifted adults with Asperger's. As the founder of ICU2, I spearheaded one of the largest adult neurodivergent communities on MeetUp, our mission, Unite, Inform, and Empower individuals who think differently. Our impactful work, still accessible on YouTube (youtube.com/), showcased both the extraordinary talents and unique challenges faced by neurodivergent minds. It is from this vantage point, informed by years of hands-on experience and deep understanding, that I feel compelled to address a matter of grave concern regarding your current role and far-reaching influence.
I've long admired your tenacity and visionary approach—qualities that have revolutionized industries and inspired millions worldwide. Your openness about having Asperger's has been particularly significant to me, as it reflects the strengths I've observed in countless neurodivergent individuals: laser-like focus, innovative thinking, and the ability to tackle seemingly insurmountable challenges. However, I must be frank: my admiration and respect have waned over time. I’m only one person and I’m certain I carry no weight here but while our 1st amendment still remains intact I offer a few thoughts for your consideration.
It appears your confidence and focus have expanded far beyond a Mission to Mars, and with the unchecked power you now wield, I harbor genuine fear about the direction you're taking, especially as your decisions increasingly impact the political and societal fabric of the United States. This isn't a personal attack—I'm not here to vilify or diagnose you—but to issue a plea rooted in my extensive work with neurodivergent adults, including those with Asperger's like yourself.
From my direct personal experience I have watched how Asperger’s can foster a black-and-white worldview: issues are either all good or all bad, efficient or broken, with little room for the messy nuances in between. I’ve watched this rigidity lead other brilliant minds to oversimplify complex systems—government, societal structures, human lives—reducing them to binaries that don’t hold up. It can lead to believing your solutions are the only valid ones, dismissing other viewpoints, or prioritizing cold metrics over the messy, human consequences that defy quantification. Worst case scenario thinking and perseveration of those bleak ideas take complete control over rational thinking, it's just the way the Asperger brain is wired. It requires incredible strength of character to recognize this and even more to change course. I’ve watched how intense passion—a trait you’ve openly embodied—can narrow focus, locking onto beliefs without questioning the bigger picture. These tendencies, unchecked, can lead to decisions that seem logical in isolation but falter under real-world scrutiny.
What alarms me most is the scale of your influence now. This country isn’t a Tesla with a glitch you can recall and fix—the choices you’re making will leave permanent marks on millions of lives, for better or worse. I don’t doubt your intent, but I fear you’re in over your head, navigating terrain where your expertise doesn’t fully apply. That’s why I’m urging you, with the weight of my experience behind me, to seek neutral counsel—voices outside your echo chamber who can challenge your assumptions and bring balance. The stakes are too high for a one-man show, no matter how brilliant.
I hope you’ll hear this not as condemnation, but as a sober call to step back and consider the irreversible impact at play. This isn’t about curbing your ambition—it’s about ensuring it doesn’t cost us all more than we can recover."
Thank you for your time and for all you’ve done to push boundaries. I hope this lands as intended—not as judgment, but as a perspective born from experience and care.
With admiration and respect, Former Founder of ICU2 – Advocate for Neurodivergent Adults
ElonMusk Official
