You said he has a choice, but that's not really true: Every person does exactly what they are compelled to do by their circumstances and their nature. If we go down the rabbit hole far enough (which we should) none of us truly chooses anything.

We don't choose our parents, our childhood environment or social network, our genes, or brains, or our intelligence, We don't even really choose our thoughts. Nor do we choose how much grit or drive we have, because those derive from those other things.

People who are happy are lucky, and people who are sad or downtrodden (for any reason) are unlucky, and deserving of sympathy. It's really as simple as that.

That said, Elon Musk does not have to worry about a lack of food, shelter, or safety, nor does he have to suffer the pain of powerlessness and obscurity that most people have to deal with.

So his life probably isn't truly pitiable, but still not that enviable on the whole, when you take his social life into account.