His clear intelligence (which is a very high IQ, but lots of other people have a very high IQ but don't succeed in the way he has) had a bunch of other contributing factors which have lead him to where he is.
He had very affluent parents and was able to maximise all the opportunities that came with that level of privilege. He didn't need to worry about funding his education. He had money to start his first business. He had contacts from that to make his first ventures successful. That's a massive head start over so many.
Then his lack of emotional intelligence was an asset not a hindrance. It made him ruthless which is great for being successful in business.
His drug use highlights his addictive personality and his risk taking. He is obsessed with what he does and it's his world, but he is prepared to throw the dice. He has had good fortune and luck. He has come close to losing on occasion.
Yes he lacks emotional intelligence and the ability to play the charmer which is essential for politics. This is the thing Trump has but he doesn't. Trumps use of simple English is one of his biggest assets with his base. He's a great communicator and doesn't alienate with big words or ideas.
And in fairness to Vance MUST have a certain amount of emotional intelligence to have made it to VP.
I wouldn't say Musk totally lacks charisma though. It's different. He can't appeal to rednecks. He doesn't speak the same language as rednecks. His English level is educated. He speaks at a level of English I connect to better than Trump because of his education. (This is a reflection of me not Musk or Trump - I'm educated).
I do think he has a certain following. Perhaps cult following but he does have people who had on his every word as if it's godlike. It just that these people perhaps aren't as brash and vocal in the same way as Trump followers and he hasn't tapped into the wider disaffection existing in the US. Trump has become the figurehead for the disaffected. He promises the earth and then when he reneges on that just throws more raw meat to keep them all 'on the hook' and 'understanding their priorities' which other politicians don't do. Musk is just about what works for him, and doesn't think about how to sell that to anyone else. He's selfish and inward looking.
Trump is predictable even in his unpredictability. People go, he wouldn't possibly do x, y or z. But those paying attention knowing that if he says it he's genuinely considering it so you shouldn't discount it. He has verbal diarrhoea - there's no filter between his brain and his gob. He wings it on the job making it up as he goes. It's served him well because it confuses people so much that he doesn't play by the rules and they can't cope with it. They think there must be a limit but in Trumps head there are no limits.
Musk has points where he ultimately doesn't go. If it's not in his business interests ultimately he will run away from it. He'll reverse and double down. He likes to be a lot more considered than Trump. In this way, he's less volatile. He doesn't like rules, but he can see the rules of limitations that naturally exist.
Both are utterly self obsessed and have ego the size of planets. The moment they disagree seriously on anything, neither was ever going to back down. Both will say anything that suits their own interests.
Musk has a self destructive streak Trump doesn't have though. That's where I think they differ most. Trump will pile blame on others rather than take responsibility. Musk will do this but part of his issue is that he takes on so much responsibility on a personal level. He's the workaholic that Trump isn't.
I find Musk wholly unlikeable but utterly fascinating in a way I don't with Trump. This makes him a bit of a walking car crash you can't help but rubber neck at. But I do think this is mostly because I simply can relate to Musk better than Trump because he communicates with a more establishment vocabulary even though he's somewhat outside the establishment way of thinking like Trump.
They both terrifying me, but both are frankly uncontrollable so you just have to get the popcorn...