Elon Reeve Musk, born on June 28, 1971, is a businessman and political figure. He is known for his key roles in the space company SpaceX and the automotive company Tesla, Inc. Since January 2025, Musk has served as Administrator of the Department of Government Efficiency. He is also known for owning X Corp. (formerly Twitter), and founding the Boring Company, xAI, Neuralink, and OpenAI.
Early Life and Education
- Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa. He is of British and Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry.
- His mother, Maye (née Haldeman), is a model and dietitian, born in Saskatchewan, Canada and raised in South Africa.
- His father, Errol Musk, is a South African electromechanical engineer, pilot, sailor, consultant, emerald dealer, and property developer.
- He has a younger brother, Kimbal, and a younger sister, Tosca, as well as four paternal half-siblings.
- Musk attended the University of Pretoria for five months before leaving to obtain his Canadian documentation . He then took a 1,900-mile bus ride to Saskatchewan, Canada, and worked a series of odd jobs .
- He enrolled at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, in 1989 .
- He later attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he received a dual degree in economics and physics in May 1997.
- Musk was admitted to a graduate program in Material Science Engineering at Stanford University in 1995, but did not enroll .
Business Career
- Musk co-founded Zip2 with his brother Kimbal. It was acquired by Compaq.
- He co-founded X.com, which became part of PayPal.
- Musk is the founder, CEO, and chief engineer of SpaceX.
- He is also the CEO and product architect of Tesla, Inc.
- Musk is the owner, CTO and executive chairman of X (formerly Twitter).
- He founded The Boring Company, X Corp., and xAI.
- He co-founded Neuralink and OpenAI.
- He also serves as president of the Musk Foundation.
Other Activities
- Musk Foundation: Musk is the president of this organization.
- Hyperloop: Musk has been involved in the development of this technology.
- OpenAI and xAI: He is a co-founder of OpenAI and founder of xAI.
- Tham Luang cave rescue: Musk was involved in the rescue effort and subsequently faced a defamation case [1, 3.4].
- 2018 cannabis incident: Musk appeared to smoke cannabis during a live interview [1, 3.5, 263].
- Music: Musk has released music, including a rap single and an EDM track [1, 3.6, 266, 269].
- Private jet: Musk uses a private jet for travel [1, 3.7, 271, 272].
- Company towns: Musk is planning to build a company town in Texas [1, 3.8, 278, 280].
Wealth
- Musk was first listed on the Forbes Billionaires List in 2012, with a net worth of $2 billion.
- As of January 2025, Musk’s estimated net worth is $426 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, and $416 billion according to Forbes, primarily from his ownership stakes in Tesla and SpaceX.
Personal Actions and Views
- Musk has expressed views on finance, technology, existential threats, and politics.
- He has been criticized for accusations of antisemitism and his views on COVID-19.
Personal Life
- Musk has been married to Justine Wilson, and Talulah Riley (twice).
- He has 12 children.
- He has faced legal matters after 2020 [1, 6.2].
- Musk is interested in gaming [1, 6.3, 386, 387].
Public Perception
- Time has listed Musk as one of the most influential people in the world multiple times, and he was selected as Time’s “Person of the Year” for 2021.
- In 2024, Musk’s Royal Society membership was criticized by 74 members over his alleged anti-scientific behavior and promotion of misinformation.
Additional Information
- Musk became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 2002, also holding citizenship in South Africa and Canada.
- He has been involved in various controversies and lawsuits, including those related to his tweets, business dealings, and personal relationships.
- He is considered a pioneer in sustainable transport and space exploration.
This information is based on the provided Wikipedia excerpts.