It's no secret that entrepreneur and engineer Elon Musk is something of a cultural icon. With CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, founder of The Boring Company, and co-founder of another handful of companies among his many titles, Musk now has one more proverbial feather to stick in his cap—richest man in the world (briefly). Surpassing Amazon giant Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk achieved this status last week, hitting an estimated net worth of more than $185 billion.

This achievement in and of itself is an enormous feat, but what's more impressive is the way in which Musk built this fortune. Many progressives are quick to criticize people who have attained billionaire status, suggesting that no one person should have an opportunity to accumulate such capital while others live below the poverty line. What is often forgotten in these discussions, however, is the good these entrepreneurs have created for others and for society at large.