This is a special edition of The Reader, a weekly round-up of stories you need to know from Fortune editor-in-chief Clifton Leaf.
Is there anything Elon Musk can’t do? The 49-year-old Tesla and SpaceX CEO (and Boring Co., Neuralink, and OpenAI cofounder—phew!) has seemingly defied gravity this year, transforming his Silicon Valley electric-auto maker into one of the world’s most valuable companies and elevating his Los Angeles-area rocket manufacturer to new heights—including successfully sending humans into orbit from the U.S. for the first time since NASA quit doing so in 2011.
It's all part of why we named Musk our Businessperson of the Year. Read on to learn more about his remarkable year in our latest magazine issue.  Clifton Leaf
 SPECIAL REPORT
SpaceX is soaring. Tesla is roaring. Here's how the world’s most creative and controversial CEO is transforming one industry after another.
BY ANDREW NUSCA AND MICHAL LEV-RAM
 MUST READ Crystal Ball 2021: Predictions for the economy, politics, technology, and more
In 2021, we will face challenges both familiar and unforeseen—but we will also see shoots of rejuvenation as the world thaws from lockdown. Here are Fortune’s predictions of how the next year will play out.
 DEEP DIVE Female founders under fire: Are women in the startup world being unfairly targeted?
From the Wing to Outdoor Voices to Away, the ranks of powerful women who have been forced to step back at the companies they created continue to grow.
BY MARIA ASPAN
MARKETS 
Short-selling firms like Hindenburg Research, Viceroy Research, and Muddy Waters have earned outsize attention—and big windfalls—by shining a harsh light on overhyped companies. BY BERNHARD WARNER
COMPUTING 
The quantum computing industry could grow very big over time. The total market for quantum hardware rentals is projected to rise to $9 billion in 2030. BY ROBERT HACKETT
ECONOMY 
State and local government budget shortfalls could reach a combined $450 billion over the next three years even as the economy recovers. BY NICOLAS RAPP AND BRIAN O'KEEFE
BANKING 
Banga reflects on his decade-plus run at Mastercard, and predicts what comes next for the payments giant. BY CLIFTON LEAF
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