A different way to view the inventions and developments promoted by Elon Musk is to see them as substitutes or replacements for failing parts of society and the economy:
Electric cars with their own charging network can operate independently of the gasoline distribution system.
His new proposed robot is a replacement for the lack of workers.
Starlink works independently of the communication infrastructure.
Solar powered homes work independently of the electric grid.
SpaceX rockets can replace jet planes for long distance travel.
Space settlement as a backup for Earth as a home for humanity.
Is other words, Elon is building post-breakdown or, possibly more apt, intra-breakdown systems. These are systems that cannot replace the existing ones, but can fill gaps created by chaotic decision-making, perverse incentives, friction caused by corruption and low levels of trust.
Perhaps a better word than replace is supplement. Elon’s systems supplement the existing ones that are fraying at the edges.