Elon Musk Biography

Who Is Elon Musk?

Elon Musk is a South African-born American entrepreneur and businessman

who founded X.com in 1999 (which later became PayPal), SpaceX in 2002
and Tesla Motors in 2003. Musk became a multimillionaire in his late 20s
when he sold his start-up company, Zip2, to a division of Compaq
Computers. 

Musk made headlines in May 2012, when SpaceX launched a rocket that
would send the first commercial vehicle to the International Space Station. He
bolstered his portfolio with the purchase of SolarCity in 2016 and cemented
his standing as a leader of industry by taking on an advisory role in the early
days of President Donald Trump's administration.

In January 2021, Musk reportedly surpassed Jeff Bezos as the wealthiest man

in the world.

Early Life

Musk was born on June 28, 1971, in Pretoria, South Africa. As a child, Musk
was so lost in his daydreams about inventions that his parents and doctors
ordered a test to check his hearing.

At about the time of his parents’ divorce, when he was 10, Musk developed an
interest in computers. He taught himself how to program, and when he was 12
he sold his first software: a game he created called Blastar.

In grade school, Musk was short, introverted and bookish. He was bullied until
he was 15 and went through a growth spurt and learned how to defend
himself with karate and wrestling.

Family

Musk’s mother, Maye Musk, is a Canadian model and the oldest woman to

star in a Covergirl campaign. When Musk was growing up, she worked five
jobs at one point to support her family.
Musk’s father, Errol Musk, is a wealthy South African engineer.

Musk spent his early childhood with his brother Kimbal and sister Tosca in
South Africa. His parents divorced when he was 10.

Education

At age 17, in 1989, Musk moved to Canada to attend Queen’s University and
avoid mandatory service in the South African military. Musk obtained his
Canadian citizenship that year, in part because he felt it would be easier to
obtain American citizenship via that path.

In 1992, Musk left Canada to study business and physics at the University of
Pennsylvania. He graduated with an undergraduate degree in economics and
stayed for a second bachelor’s degree in physics.

After leaving Penn, Musk headed to Stanford University in California to pursue

a PhD in energy physics. However, his move was timed perfectly with the
Internet boom, and he dropped out of Stanford after just two days to become
a part of it, launching his first company, Zip2 Corporation in 1995. Musk
became a U.S. citizen in 2002.

Companies

Zip2 Corporation

Musk launched his first company, Zip2 Corporation, in 1995 with his brother,
Kimbal Musk. An online city guide, Zip2 was soon providing content for the
new websites of both The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune. In 1999,
a division of Compaq Computer Corporation bought Zip2 for $307 million in
cash and $34 million in stock options.

PayPal

In 1999, Elon and Kimbal Musk used the money from their sale of Zip2 to
found X.com, an online financial services/payments company. An X.com
acquisition the following year led to the creation of PayPal as it is known
today.
In October 2002, Musk earned his first billion when PayPal was acquired by
eBay for $1.5 billion in stock. Before the sale, Musk owned 11 percent of
PayPal stock.

SpaceX

Musk founded his third company, Space Exploration Technologies

Corporation, or SpaceX, in 2002 with the intention of building spacecraft for
commercial space travel. By 2008, SpaceX was well established, and NASA
awarded the company the contract to handle cargo transport for the
International Space Station—with plans for astronaut transport in the future—
in a move to replace NASA’s own space shuttle missions.

Elon Musk poses for a portrait in Los Angeles, California, on July 25, 2008.
Photo: Dan Tuffs/Getty Images

Falcon 9 Rockets

On May 22, 2012, Musk and SpaceX made history when the company
launched its Falcon 9 rocket into space with an unmanned capsule. The
vehicle was sent to the International Space Station with 1,000 pounds of
supplies for the astronauts stationed there, marking the first time a private
company had sent a spacecraft to the International Space Station. Of the
launch, Musk was quoted as saying, "I feel very lucky. ... For us, it's like
winning the Super Bowl."

In December 2013, a Falcon 9 successfully carried a satellite to

geosynchronous transfer orbit, a distance at which the satellite would lock into
an orbital path that matched the Earth's rotation. In February 2015, SpaceX
launched another Falcon 9 fitted with the Deep Space Climate Observatory
(DSCOVR) satellite, aiming to observe the extreme emissions from the sun
that affect power grids and communications systems on Earth.

In March 2017, SpaceX saw the successful test flight and landing of a Falcon
9 rocket made from reusable parts, a development that opened the door for
more affordable space travel.

A setback came in November 2017, when an explosion occurred during a test

of the company's new Block 5 Merlin engine. SpaceX reported that no one
was hurt, and that the issue would not hamper its planned rollout of a future
generation of Falcon 9 rockets.

The company enjoyed another milestone moment in February 2018 with the
successful test launch of the powerful Falcon Heavy rocket. Armed with
additional Falcon 9 boosters, the Falcon Heavy was designed to carry
immense payloads into orbit and potentially serve as a vessel for deep space
missions. For the test launch, the Falcon Heavy was given a payload of
Musk's cherry-red Tesla Roadster, equipped with cameras to "provide some
epic views" for the vehicle's planned orbit around the sun.

In July 2018, Space X enjoyed the successful landing of a new Block 5 Falcon
rocket, which touched down on a drone ship less than 9 minutes after liftoff.

BFR Mission to Mars

In September 2017, Musk presented an updated design plan for his BFR (an
acronym for either "Big F---ing Rocket" or "Big Falcon Rocket"), a 31-engine
behemoth topped by a spaceship capable of carrying at least 100 people. He
revealed that SpaceX was aiming to launch the first cargo missions to Mars
with the vehicle in 2022, as part of his overarching goal of colonizing the Red
Planet.

In March 2018, the entrepreneur told an audience at the annual South by

Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, that he hoped to have the BFR ready for
short flights early the following year, while delivering a knowing nod at his
previous problems with meeting deadlines.

The following month, it was announced that SpaceX would construct a facility
at the Port of Los Angeles to build and house the BFR. The port property
presented an ideal location for SpaceX, as its mammoth rocket will only be
movable by barge or ship when completed.

Starlink Internet Satellites

In late March 2018, SpaceX received permission from the U.S. government to
launch a fleet of satellites into low orbit for the purpose of providing Internet
service. The satellite network, named Starlink, would ideally make broadband
service more accessible in rural areas, while also boosting competition in
heavily populated markets that are typically dominated by one or two
providers. 

SpaceX launched the first batch of 60 satellites in May 2019, and followed
with another payload of 60 satellites that November. While this represented
significant progress for the Starlink venture, the appearance of these bright
orbiters in the night sky, with the potential of thousands more to come, worried
astronomers who felt that a proliferation of satellites would increase the
difficulty of studying distant objects in space.

Tesla Motors

Musk is the co-founder, CEO and product architect at Tesla Motors, a

company formed in 2003 that is dedicated to producing affordable, mass-
market electric cars as well as battery products and solar roofs. Musk
oversees all product development, engineering and design of the company's
products.

Roadster
Five years after its formation, in March 2008, Tesla unveiled the Roadster, a
sports car capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, as well as
traveling nearly 250 miles between charges of its lithium ion battery.

With a stake in the company taken by Daimler and a strategic partnership with
Toyota, Tesla Motors launched its initial public offering in June 2010, raising
$226 million.

Model S

In August 2008, Tesla announced plans for its Model S, the company's first
electric sedan that was reportedly meant to take on the BMW 5 series. In
2012, the Model S finally entered production at a starting price of $58,570.
Capable of covering 265 miles between charges, it was honored as the 2013
Car of the Year by Motor Trend magazine.

In April 2017, Tesla announced that it surpassed General Motors to become

the most valuable U.S. car maker. The news was an obvious boon to Tesla,
which was looking to ramp up production and release its Model 3 sedan later
that year.

In September 2019, using what Musk described as a "Plaid powertrain," a

Model S set a speed record for four-door sedan at Laguna Seca Raceway
in Monterey County, California.

Model 3

The Model 3 was officially launched in early 2019 following extensive

production delays. The car was initially priced at $35,000, a much more
accessible price point than the $69,500 and up for its Model S and X electric
sedans.

After initially aiming to produce 5,000 new Model 3 cars per week by
December 2017, Musk pushed that goal back to March 2018, and then to
June with the start of the new year. The announced delay didn't surprise
industry experts, who were well aware of the company's production problems,
though some questioned how long investors would remain patient with the
process. It also didn't prevent Musk from garnering a radical new
compensation package as CEO, in which he would be paid after reaching
milestones of growing valuation based on $50 billion increments.

By April 2018, with Tesla expected to fall short of first-quarter production

forecasts, news surfaced that Musk had pushed aside the head of engineering
to personally oversee efforts in that division. In a Twitter exchange with a
reporter, Musk said it was important to "divide and conquer" to meet
production goals and was "back to sleeping at factory."

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After signaling that the company would reorganize its management structure,
Musk in June announced that Tesla was laying off 9 percent of its workforce,
though its production department would remain intact. In an email to
employees, Musk explained his decision to eliminate some "duplication of
roles" to cut costs, admitting it was time to take serious steps toward turning a
profit.

The restructuring appeared to pay dividends, as it was announced that Tesla

had met its goal of producing 5,000 Model 3 cars per week by the end of June
2018, while churning out another 2,000 Model S sedans and Model X SUVs.
"We did it!" Musk wrote in a celebratory email to the company. "What an
incredible job by an amazing team."

The following February, Musk announced that the company was finally rolling
out its standard Model 3. Musk also said that Tesla was shifting to all-online
sales, and offering customers the chance to return their cars within seven
days or 1,000 miles for a full refund.

Semi Truck

In November 2017, Musk made another splash with the unveiling of the new
Tesla Semi and Roadster at the company's design studio. The semi-truck,
which was expected to enter into production in 2019 before being delayed,
boasts 500 miles of range as well as a battery and motors built to last 1 million
miles.

Model Y and Roadster

In March 2019, Musk unveiled Tesla’s long-awaited Model Y. The compact

crossover, which began arriving for customers in March 2020, has a driving
range of 300 miles and a 0 to 60 mph time of 3.5 seconds.

The Roadster, also set to be released in 2020, will become the fastest
production car ever made, with a 0 to 60 time of 1.9 seconds.

SolarCity
In August 2016, in Musk’s continuing effort to promote and advance
sustainable energy and products for a wider consumer base, a $2.6 billion
dollar deal was solidified to combine his electric car and solar energy
companies. His Tesla Motors Inc. announced an all-stock deal purchase of
SolarCity Corp., a company Musk had helped his cousins start in 2006. He is
a majority shareholder in each entity.

“Solar and storage are at their best when they're combined. As one company,
Tesla (storage) and SolarCity (solar) can create fully integrated residential,
commercial and grid-scale products that improve the way that energy is
generated, stored and consumed,” read a statement on Tesla’s website about
the deal.

The Boring Company

In January 2017, Musk launched The Boring Company, a company devoted to

boring and building tunnels in order to reduce street traffic. He began with a
test dig on the SpaceX property in Los Angeles.

In late October of that year, Musk posted the first photo of his company's
progress to his Instagram page. He said the 500-foot tunnel, which would
generally run parallel to Interstate 405, would reach a length of two miles in
approximately four months.

In May 2019 the company, now known as TBC, landed a $48.7 million
contract from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to build an
underground Loop system to shuttle people around the Las Vegas Convention
Center.

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Musk’s Tweet and SEC Investigation

On August 7, 2018, Musk dropped a bombshell via a tweet: "Am considering

taking Tesla private at $420. Funding secured." The announcement opened
the door for legal action against the company and its founder, as the SEC
began inquiring about whether Musk had indeed secured the funding as
claimed. Several investors filed lawsuits on the grounds that Musk was
looking to manipulate stock prices and ambush short sellers with his tweet.

Musk’s tweet initially sent Tesla stock spiking, before it closed the day up 11
percent. The CEO followed up with a letter on the company blog, calling the
move to go private "the best path forward." He promised to retain his stake in
the company, and added that he would create a special fund to help all
current investors remain on board.

Six days later, Musk sought to clarify his position with a statement in which he
pointed to discussions with the managing director of the Saudi Arabian
sovereign wealth fund as the source of his "funding secured" declaration. He
later tweeted that he was working on a proposal to take Tesla private with
Goldman Sachs and Silver Lake as financial advisers.

The saga took a bizarre turn that day when rapper Azealia Banks wrote on
Instagram that, as a guest at Musk's home at the time, she learned that he
was under the influence of LSD when he fired off his headline-grabbing tweet.
Banks said she overheard Musk making phone calls to drum up the funding
he promised was already in place.

The news quickly turned serious again when it was reported that Tesla's
outside directors had retained two law firms to deal with the SEC inquiry and
the CEO's plans to take the company private.

On August 24, one day after meeting with the board, Musk announced that he
had reversed course and would not be taking the company private. Among his
reasons, he cited the preference of most directors to keep Tesla public, as
well as the difficulty of retaining some of the large shareholders who were
prohibited from investing in a private company. Others suggested that Musk
was also influenced by the poor optics of an electric car company being
funded by Saudi Arabia, a country heavily involved in the oil industry.
On September 29, 2018, it was announced that Musk would pay a $20 million
fine and step down as chairman of Tesla's board for three years as part of an
agreement with the SEC.

Inventions and Innovations

Hyperloop

In August 2013, Musk released a concept for a new form of transportation

called the "Hyperloop," an invention that would foster commuting between
major cities while severely cutting travel time. Ideally resistant to weather and
powered by renewable energy, the Hyperloop would propel riders in pods
through a network of low-pressure tubes at speeds reaching more than 700
mph. Musk noted that the Hyperloop could take from seven to 10 years to be
built and ready for use.

Although he introduced the Hyperloop with claims that it would be safer than a
plane or train, with an estimated cost of $6 billion — approximately one-tenth
of the cost for the rail system planned by the state of California — Musk's
concept has drawn skepticism. Nevertheless, the entrepreneur has sought to
encourage the development of this idea.

After he announced a competition for teams to submit their designs for a

Hyperloop pod prototype, the first Hyperloop Pod Competition was held at the
SpaceX facility in January 2017. A speed record of 284 mph was set by a
German student engineering team at competition No. 3 in 2018, with the same
team pushing the record to 287 mph the next year.

AI and Neuralink

Musk has pursued an interest in artificial intelligence, becoming co-chair of the

nonprofit OpenAI. The research company launched in late 2015 with the
stated mission of advancing digital intelligence to benefit humanity.

In 2017, it was also reported that Musk was backing a venture called
Neuralink, which intends to create devices to be implanted in the human brain
and help people merge with software. He expanded on the company's
progress during a July 2019 discussion, revealing that its devices will consist
of a microscopic chip that connects via Bluetooth to a smartphone. 
High-Speed Train

In late November 2017, after Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel asked for

proposals to build and operate a high-speed rail line that would transport
passengers from O'Hare Airport to downtown Chicago in 20 minutes or less,
Musk tweeted that he was all-in on the competition with The Boring Company.
He said that the concept of the Chicago loop would be different from his
Hyperloop, its relatively short route not requiring the need for drawing a
vacuum to eliminate air friction.

In summer 2018 Musk announced he would cover the estimated $1 billion

needed to dig the 17-mile tunnel from the airport to downtown Chicago.
However, in late 2019 he tweeted that TBC would focus on completing the
commercial tunnel in Las Vegas before turning to other projects, suggesting
that plans for Chicago would remain in limbo for the immediate future. 

Flamethrower

Musk also reportedly found a market for The Boring Company's

flamethrowers. After announcing they were going on sale for $500 apiece in
late January 2018, he claimed to have sold 10,000 of them within a day.

Relationship with Donald Trump

In December 2016, Musk was named to President Trump’s Strategy and

Policy Forum; the following January, he joined Trump's Manufacturing Jobs
Initiative. Following Trump’s election, Musk found himself on common ground
with the new president and his advisers as the president announced plans to
pursue massive infrastructure developments.

While sometimes at odds with the president's controversial measures, such as

a proposed ban on immigrants from Muslim-majority countries, Musk
defended his involvement with the new administration. "My goals," he tweeted
in early 2017, "are to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy
and to help make humanity a multi-planet civilization, a consequence of which
will be the creating of hundreds of thousands of jobs and a more inspiring
future for all."
On June 1, following Trump's announcement that he was withdrawing the U.S.
from the Paris climate accord, Musk stepped down from his advisory roles.

Personal Life

Wives and Children

Musk has been married twice. He wed Justine Wilson in 2000, and the couple
had six children together. In 2002, their first son died at 10 weeks old from
sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Musk and Wilson had five additional
sons together: twins Griffin and Xavier (born in 2004) and triplets Kai, Saxon
and Damian (born in 2006).

After a contentious divorce from Wilson, Musk met actress Talulah Riley. The
couple married in 2010. They split in 2012 but married each other again in
2013. Their relationship ultimately ended in divorce in 2016.

Girlfriends

Musk reportedly began dating actress Amber Heard in 2016 after finalizing his
divorce with Riley and Heard finalized her divorce from Johnny Depp. Their
busy schedules caused the couple to break up in August 2017; they got back
together in January 2018 and split again one month later.

In May 2018, Musk began dating musician Grimes (born Claire Boucher). That
month, Grimes announced that she had changed her name to “c,” the symbol
for the speed of light, reportedly on the encouragement of Musk. Fans
criticized the feminist performer for dating a billionaire whose company has
been described as a “predator zone” among accusations of sexual
harassment.

The couple discussed their love for one another in a March 2019 feature in
the  Wall Street Journal Magazine, with Grimes saying “Look, I love him, he’s
great...I mean, he’s a super-interesting goddamn person.” Musk, for his part,
told the Journal, “I love c’s wild fae artistic creativity and hyper intense work
ethic.”
Grimes gave birth to their son on May 4, 2020, with Musk announcing that
they had named the boy "X Æ A-12." Later in the month, after it was reported
that the State of California wouldn't accept a name with a number, the couple
said they were changing their son's name to "X Æ A-Xii."

Nonprofit Work

The boundless potential of space exploration and the preservation of the

future of the human race have become the cornerstones of Musk's abiding
interests, and toward these he has founded the Musk Foundation, which is
dedicated to space exploration and the discovery of renewable and clean
energy sources.

In October 2019 Musk pledged to donate $1 million to the #TeamTrees

campaign, which aims to plant 20 million trees around the world by 2020. He
even changed his Twitter name to Treelon for the occasion.