🚀 Elon Musk – Visionary Entrepreneur and Innovator
Elon Reeve Musk (born June 28, 1971) is a South African-born American entrepreneur, engineer, and industrial designer known for founding and leading several high-profile technology companies. He is the CEO and lead designer of SpaceX, CEO and product architect of Tesla, Inc., and has played pivotal roles in companies like PayPal, Neuralink, and X (formerly Twitter).
🧒 Early Life and Education
Born in Pretoria, South Africa, Musk developed an early interest in computing and technology. At age 12, he created and sold a video game called Blastar. He moved to Canada in 1989 to attend Queen’s University and later transferred to the University of Pennsylvania, earning degrees in physics and economics. Musk briefly attended Stanford University for a Ph.D. program but left to pursue entrepreneurial ventures.
💼 Career Milestones
- Zip2 Corporation: Co-founded in 1995, providing business directories and maps for newspapers.
- X.com and PayPal: Founded X.com in 1999, an online payment company that became PayPal after a merger; acquired by eBay in 2002.
- SpaceX: Founded in 2002 with the goal of reducing space transportation costs and enabling Mars colonization.
- Tesla, Inc.: Joined in 2004, leading the company to become a major electric vehicle and clean energy manufacturer.
- Neuralink: Co-founded in 2016 to develop brain–computer interface technologies.
- The Boring Company: Founded in 2016 to develop tunnel construction and infrastructure projects.
- X (formerly Twitter): Acquired the social media platform in 2022, rebranding it as X in 2023.
🌐 Influence and Recognition
Musk is recognized for his ambitious vision to revolutionize transportation both on Earth and in space. He has been listed among the world’s most powerful people and has a significant following on social media platforms. His work has earned him numerous accolades, including being named Time magazine’s Person of the Year in 2021.
🌐 Learn More
Elon Reeve Musk (/ˈiːlɒn/ EE-lon; born June 28, 1971) is a businessman known for his leadership of Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly Twitter). Since 2025, he has been a senior advisor to United States president Donald Trump and the de facto head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk has been considered the wealthiest person in the world since 2021; as of May 2025,[update] Forbes estimates his net worth to be US$424.7 billion. He was named Time magazine's Person of the Year in 2021.
Elon Musk | |
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.jpg) Musk in 2025 | |
| Senior Advisor to the President | |
| Assumed office January 20, 2025 Serving with Massad Boulos | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Tom Perez |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Elon Reeve Musk June 28, 1971 Pretoria, South Africa |
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| Political party | Independent |
| Spouses |
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| Domestic partner | Grimes (2018–2021) |
| Children | At least 14, including Vivian Wilson |
| Parents |
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| Relatives | Musk family |
| Education | University of Pennsylvania (BA, BS) |
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| Awards | Full list |
| Signature |  |
Born to a wealthy family in Pretoria, South Africa, Musk emigrated in 1989 to Canada. He received bachelor's degrees from the University of Pennsylvania in 1997 before moving to California to pursue business ventures. In 1995, Musk co-founded the software company Zip2. Following its sale in 1999, he co-founded X.com, an online payment company that later merged to form PayPal, which was acquired by eBay in 2002. That year, Musk also became a U.S. citizen.
In 2002, Musk founded the space technology company SpaceX, becoming its CEO and chief engineer; the company has since led innovations in reusable rockets and commercial spaceflight. Musk joined the automaker Tesla as an early investor in 2004 and became its CEO and product architect in 2008; it has since become a leader in electric vehicles. In 2015, he co-founded OpenAI to advance artificial intelligence research but later left; growing discontent with the organization's direction in the 2020s led him to establish xAI. In 2022, he acquired the social network Twitter, implementing significant changes and rebranding it as X in 2023. In January 2025, he was appointed head of Trump's newly created DOGE. His other businesses include the neurotechnology company Neuralink, which he co-founded in 2016, and the tunneling company the Boring Company, which he founded in 2017.
Musk's political activities and views have made him a polarizing figure. He has been criticized for making unscientific and misleading statements, including COVID-19 misinformation and promoting conspiracy theories, and affirming antisemitic, racist, and transphobic comments. His acquisition of Twitter was controversial due to a subsequent increase in hate speech and the spread of misinformation on the service. Especially since the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Musk has been heavily involved in politics as a vocal supporter of Trump. Musk was the largest donor in the 2024 U.S. presidential election and is a supporter of global far-right figures, causes, and political parties. His role in the second Trump administration, particularly in regards to DOGE, has attracted public backlash.