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The Zero-Sum Illusion Book

I used to be proud of this connection

Published 9 months ago • 1 min read

Hello Reader,

I have mentioned before that I went to the same primary school as Elon Musk in Pretoria, and we may have overlapped for a year. For a long time, that was a connection I mentioned with a bit of pride - a shared history with someone reshaping the world.

I am not proud of it today.

The Quote

You may have seen the commentary released in The Lancet a couple of weeks ago (3 December) regarding the dismantling of USAID by the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

It references a post Elon Musk made on X back on 3 February 2025, regarding the abrupt freezing of aid:

“We spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper.”

He spoke of destroying an institution that kept millions alive as if it were yard work. As if it were efficiency.

The Cost

Back in July, research by Cavalcanti et al. warned us what this "wood chipper" approach would cost. They projected that defunding USAID could lead to 14.1 million additional deaths by 2030, including 4.5 million children.

The Illusion

This is the ultimate, brutal expression of the Zero-Sum Illusion. It is the belief that for "us" to succeed (or save money), "they" must lose. It frames aid as a transaction where we can withdraw from our shared humanity to "save resources" without consequence.

But disease knows no borders. Instability knows no borders.

When we treat human lives as inefficiencies to be fed into a wood chipper, we create a negative-sum catastrophe that destroys global security and human potential for everyone. Musk has a lot to answer for! Actions like these make things worse for everyone since a zero-sum mindset usually results in a negative-sum outcome. While Musk celebrates a trillion dollar pay package, his rash actions are making the poor poorer.

Why This Matters Now

I am writing The Zero-Sum Illusion because I believe this mindset is the single greatest threat to our collective future. We need a toolkit to move from "Me vs. Them" to a Strategic Understanding of our shared reality.

If you refuse to accept that 14.1 million deaths is an acceptable price for "efficiency," I invite you to join me.

We can choose a different future. But we have to choose it now.

Best wishes,
Grant

P.S. If you’re open to a 15-minute virtual coffee/tea, just let me know in your reply and we'll find a time or book it directly in my calendar here. I'd love to speak with you.

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The Zero-Sum Illusion Book

Dr Grant Ballard-Tremeer

I'm a author, coach, and entrepreneur who loves to talk about business & entrepreneurship and personal development. I'm author of the book "The Zero-Sum Illusion". Join me in the journey by subscribing to my newsletter.

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