Elon Musk
Elon Reeve Musk (born June 28, 1971) is a South African-born American businessman and entrepreneur. He is the CEO and product architect of Tesla, the founder, CEO, and chief engineer of SpaceX, the owner and executive chair of X (formerly Twitter), and the founder of xAI. Musk is also the co-founder of Neuralink and The Boring Company.
As of March 2026, Musk is the wealthiest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of approximately US$839 billion, primarily from his stakes in Tesla and SpaceX.<grok-card data-id="b63fa9" data-type="citation_card" data-plain-type="render_inline_citation" ></grok-card><grok-card data-id="73664b" data-type="citation_card" data-plain-type="render_inline_citation" ></grok-card> He has been recognized as one of the most influential innovators of his generation, topping Forbes' 2026 list of America's Greatest Living Innovators.
Early life
[edit]Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa, to Maye Musk (née Haldeman), a model and dietitian, and Errol Musk, an electromechanical engineer. He has a younger brother, Kimbal, and a younger sister, Tosca. Musk showed an early interest in computers and taught himself to program; at age 12, he sold a video game he created called Blastar for $500.
He attended Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, for two years before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics and a Bachelor of Science in physics in 1995. He briefly attended Stanford University for a PhD in materials science but dropped out after two days to pursue internet entrepreneurship during the dot-com boom.
Business career
[edit]Early ventures
[edit]In 1995, Musk co-founded Zip2, an online city guide software company, with his brother Kimbal. Compaq acquired Zip2 in 1999 for US$307 million, netting Musk approximately $22 million.
Later in 1999, Musk founded X.com, an online financial services and email payment company. In 2000, X.com merged with Confinity to form PayPal. eBay acquired PayPal in 2002 for US$1.5 billion in stock, from which Musk received about $176 million after taxes.
SpaceX
[edit]Musk founded SpaceX in 2002 with the goal of reducing space transportation costs and enabling the colonization of Mars. SpaceX developed the Falcon family of rockets and the Dragon spacecraft. Key achievements include:
- First privately funded spacecraft to reach orbit (Falcon 1, 2008)
- First reuse of orbital-class rockets (Falcon 9)
- First private company to send a spacecraft to the International Space Station (Dragon, 2012)
- Development of Starship, intended for Mars missions
- Starlink satellite internet constellation
Tesla
[edit]Musk joined Tesla in 2004 as chairman and lead investor. He became CEO in 2008. Under his leadership, Tesla became the world's most valuable automaker for periods, pioneering mass-market electric vehicles (Model S, 3, Y, X, Cybertruck) and advancing autonomous driving technology (Full Self-Driving) and energy storage (Megapack, Powerwall). Tesla also produces the Optimus humanoid robot.
X (formerly Twitter)
[edit]In 2022, Musk acquired Twitter for US$44 billion and rebranded it as X in 2023, with the vision of creating an "everything app." Changes included reduced content moderation, introduction of paid verification (X Premium), and integration with Grok.
xAI
[edit]Musk founded xAI in 2023 with the mission "to understand the true nature of the universe." The company developed the Grok family of AI models and integrated with X. In 2026, SpaceX acquired xAI in a major merger.<grok-card data-id="ac749f" data-type="citation_card" data-plain-type="render_inline_citation" ></grok-card>
Other ventures
[edit]- Neuralink (2016): Develops brain-computer interfaces.
- The Boring Company (2016): Focuses on underground tunneling and infrastructure.
- Musk briefly co-founded OpenAI in 2015 but left the board in 2018.
In 2025, Musk co-led the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under President Donald Trump's second administration before stepping down in May 2025.
Personal life
[edit]Musk has been married three times: twice to actress Talulah Riley and once to author Justine Wilson (with whom he has five surviving children: twins and triplets). He has children with musician Grimes (including X Æ A-Xii) and Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis (twins and others). As of 2026, Musk has at least 12 living children.
He holds citizenship in South Africa, Canada, and the United States (naturalized 2002). Musk has described himself as a "free speech absolutist" and has been vocal on topics including artificial intelligence risks, sustainable energy, multi-planetary life, and population decline.
Wealth
[edit]Musk's wealth is highly volatile due to his large holdings in public (Tesla) and private (SpaceX) companies. As of March 2026, Forbes estimates his net worth at $839 billion, making him the richest person ever recorded on their list.<grok-card data-id="b612a9" data-type="citation_card" data-plain-type="render_inline_citation" ></grok-card>
Cultural impact and reception
[edit]Musk is frequently compared to historical figures like Thomas Edison or Howard Hughes for his ambitious, multi-industry vision. Supporters praise his role in accelerating electric vehicles, reusable rockets, and AI development. Critics have raised concerns about his management style, public statements on social media, labor practices, and market influence.
He has received numerous awards, including multiple Global Recognition Awards for innovation in space and neurotechnology.