Elon Musk was born on June 28, 1971, in Pretoria, South Africa, a city known for its rich history and cultural diversity. He was the eldest of three children to Canadian-South African dietitian and model Maye (pictured) and engineer Errol Musk.
Musk's childhood in South Africa was marked by curiosity and a thirst for knowledge. He often immersed himself in books and taught himself computer programming at a young age.
At just 12 years old, Musk developed and sold his own video game. Two years earlier, he had found a passion for technology after seeing a computer for the first time in a store. What an impressive start for a kid.
His game “Blastar,” a space-themed shooter, was inspired by his love for science fiction and coding. The game itself was also heavily influenced by classic arcade games. He sold the game to a computer magazine for $500.
At the age of 17, Elon Musk left South Africa for Canada, partly to avoid mandatory military service. He was able to do this because his mother was from Canada, so he was able to move and gain Canadian citizenship pretty easily.
His decision to move also came from wanting to further his educational and professional opportunities. Settling in Canada marked the beginning of Musk's transition to North America, where he would later build his career in technology and business.
After moving to Canada, Musk enrolled at Queen’s University in Ontario, but he left in 1992 to instead study physics and business at the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated in 1996.
He then went on to Stanford University to get his Ph.D. in energy physics, but he only lasted two days before dropping out to launch Zip2 Corporation. He applied for academic deferment in case it didn’t work out, but the department chair knew he wouldn’t return.
Musk founded Zip2 in 1995, his first enterprise. From there, he also founded PayPal (1998), SpaceX (2002), Tesla (2003), OpenAI (2015), a construction company named The Boring Company (2016), Neuralink Corporation (2016), and his newest endeavor xAI (2023).
His best-known companies are SpaceX and Tesla, and he is the CEO of both. SpaceX is a private spaceflight company, and its focus is space tourism. Tesla is an electric vehicle and clean energy company.
According to Forbes.com, Elon Musk is officially the richest person in the world and possibly the richest person ever, with a net worth of $321.7 billion. Musk’s influence in America is becoming very evident.
He donated over $100 million to Trump’s presidential campaign this year and quickly got in the President-elect’s inner circle. As Tesla shares soared after the 2024 election, his net worth reached the highest it’s ever been so he definitely benefited.
Elon Musk is often called the real-life Iron Man, as Robert Downey Jr. based his portrayal of Tony Stark in Marvel’s films on Musk. The two really do align a lot with their futuristic ideas and tech-savvy personas.
Musk was so influential he even got a cameo in Iron Man 2. His groundbreaking ventures, like Tesla and SpaceX, mirror Stark’s innovative genius. Although, it’s still up in the air whether Musk will be a hero or a villain.
Elon Musk revealed during his Saturday Night Live monologue in 2021 that he has Asperger's syndrome, a condition on the autism spectrum. As he spoke, he shared his unique way of thinking and how it contributes to his success.
By sharing this, Musk highlighted the importance of neurodiversity, shedding light on how different perspectives drive innovation. His openness inspired many, showing that being on the autism spectrum can be a strength in achieving groundbreaking goals.
Elon Musk isn’t exactly the ideal family man. He has six children with ex-wife Justine Wilson, however, his first child with her sadly passed away from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
He also has three children with extremely questionable and unpronounceable names (X Æ A-12, Exa Dark Sideræl, Techno Mechanicus) with musician Grimes. While in a relationship with Grimes, he also had three children with Shivon Zilis, a Neuralink executive.
Elon Musk has a 20-year-old transgender daughter named Vivian Jenna Wilson, whom he does not claim. On social media, he said that she was “not a girl” and effectively “dead” to him. In July 2024, Vivian did an interview with NBC News.
She claimed that he was cruel to her as a child for being LGBTQ+ and feminine. She said that Musk was uncaring and never present. “He was cold,” she said. “He’s very quick to anger. He is uncaring and narcissistic.”
Elon Musk plans to establish a settlement on Mars by the end of the next decade using SpaceX's Starship. This fully reusable spacecraft aims to transport humans and supplies, paving the way for a sustainable Mars colony.
The goal is to ensure humanity's survival by making humans less entirely dependent on Earth in case of a global disaster. Musk has said there’s about a 70 percent chance he’ll go to Mars, but he’s not sure he’ll return.
SpaceX made history in 2020 by launching astronauts into orbit aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft, the first privately-built and operated capsule to do this. This landmark mission marked a shift from government-only space exploration to private sector involvement.
This achievement opened new possibilities for space travel, emphasizing innovation and cost-effectiveness in aerospace. It signaled a future where private companies could play a central role in space missions, advancing research, exploration, and even tourism beyond Earth's atmosphere.
Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster launched into space aboard SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket in February 2018. This reusable rocket delivered the car as a symbolic payload, proving its capability to carry large objects into deep space and showcasing innovation.
The launch was a milestone in space exploration, blending science and creativity. A mannequin named "Starman" sat in the car, set on an orbit around the sun. The car is still in space, and you can check out its real-time position online.
Elon Musk resigned from two of Donald Trump's business advisory councils in 2017 after Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement. Musk was a vocal advocate for combating climate change at the time.
He viewed staying on the councils as conflicting with his values and Tesla's mission of promoting sustainable energy. He criticized the withdrawal, stressing its global implications for environmental protection and innovation.
Elon Musk is about to play a big part is government. He and Donald Trump have put their differences aside, and Musk is set to lead the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with Vivek Ramaswamy under the upcoming Trump administration.
The department aims to streamline federal operations, reduce wasteful spending, and enhance transparency across government functions. Trump is said to want Musk to overhaul the government, and a lot of vital departments could be on the chopping block.
