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Elon Musk – Detailed Profile
Basic Information:
- Full Name: Elon Reeve Musk
- Date of Birth: June 28, 1971
- Place of Birth: Pretoria, South Africa
- Citizenship: South African, Canadian, American
Education:
- Waterkloof House Preparatory School, Pretoria, South Africa
(Primary Education) - Pretoria Boys High School, South Africa
(Secondary Education) - Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada (1990–1992)
(Undergraduate studies – no degree obtained here) - University of Pennsylvania, USA (1992–1997)
- Bachelor of Arts in Physics (College of Arts and Sciences)
- Bachelor of Science in Economics (Wharton School)
- Stanford University, California, USA
- Briefly enrolled in a Ph.D. program in Applied Physics and Materials Science, but dropped out after 2 days to pursue business ventures.
Career & Major Companies:
1. Zip2 Corporation (1996 – 1999)
- Musk’s first major venture, co-founded with his brother Kimbal Musk.
- A software company providing business directories and maps for newspapers.
- Sold to Compaq for $307 million in 1999.
2. PayPal (originally X.com, 1999 – 2002)
- Founded X.com, an online payment company.
- X.com merged with Confinity, which had a money transfer service: PayPal.
- Musk was ousted as CEO, but the company was sold to eBay in 2002 for $1.5 billion, and Musk received $165 million.
3. SpaceX (founded in 2002)
- Goal: Reduce space transportation costs and make Mars colonization possible.
- Notable achievements:
- First privately-funded company to send a rocket (Falcon 1) into orbit.
- Developed Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, and Starship rockets.
- Launched astronauts to the ISS in collaboration with NASA.
- Starlink: Global satellite internet constellation.
- Contracts with NASA and private customers.
4. Tesla, Inc. (joined in 2004)
- Musk joined as chairman and later became CEO.
- Revolutionized the electric vehicle (EV) industry.
- Products include: Model S, 3, X, Y, and Cybertruck (upcoming).
- Also developed Tesla Energy, producing solar products and battery storage systems (e.g., Powerwall).
- Pushed for Autopilot, FSD (Full Self-Driving), and AI in vehicles.
5. SolarCity (founded in 2006, acquired by Tesla in 2016)
- A solar energy services company co-founded by Musk’s cousins.
- Became one of the largest solar providers in the U.S.
- Now operates under Tesla Energy.
6. Neuralink (founded in 2016)
- Brain-machine interface company.
- Goal: Merge the human brain with AI.
- Working on devices to help treat neurological disorders and eventually enable “symbiosis” with artificial intelligence.
7. The Boring Company (founded in 2016)
- Infrastructure and tunnel construction services.
- Famous for building underground tunnels to reduce traffic congestion.
- Projects include the Las Vegas Loop and experimental Hyperloop designs.
8. X (formerly Twitter, acquired in 2022)
- Acquired Twitter for $44 billion in October 2022.
- Rebranded it to “X,” aiming to turn it into an "everything app."
- Controversial management style, policy changes, and mass layoffs followed.
Visionary Projects & Interests:
- Colonizing Mars with SpaceX
- AI Integration via Neuralink
- Transition to sustainable energy through Tesla
- Hyperloop – high-speed transportation concept
- Universal basic income supporter
- OpenAI co-founder (though later distanced from the organization)
Personality and Public Image:
- Often described as intense, brilliant, and risk-tolerant.
- Known for working extremely long hours and expecting the same of others.
- Frequently posts controversial and unfiltered content on social media.
- Seen as a polarizing figure: praised as a genius innovator, criticized for erratic behavior.
Awards & Recognition:
- Named Time’s Person of the Year (2021)
- Frequently ranks in Forbes’ Most Powerful People and Richest People in the World
- Multiple recognitions from institutions for innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology
Controversies:
- Tweets affecting stock markets and cryptocurrencies
- Labor practices at Tesla factories
- SEC lawsuit in 2018 over misleading tweets ("funding secured")
- Statements on AI risks, vaccines, politics, and media
Net Worth (as of 2025):
- Fluctuates with Tesla and SpaceX stock values, often between $180–250 billion
- Frequently alternates with Jeff Bezos and Bernard Arnault for the world’s richest person
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