Keep in mind, SpaceX and Tesla are both in industries where people don’t actually have that many other options. If you really want to see what talent Elon is able to attract, you need to look at his other companies like X.
That might be true, but I suspect my point is rather that Elon attracted the initial talent (likely through compensation) and thats what attracts the next level. In the wise words of my Olympian swimmer friend "The only way I could become an Olympic swimmer was by training next to people faster than me".
My experience would lead me to disagree, Elon companies tend to be highly competitive to apply for, and working for one is still quite prestigious among people hiring. If young engineer support means anything their merch is still quite popular among college engineering students
