Elon Musk

Full Name, Age, and Place of Birth

Elon Reeve Musk was born on June 28, 1971, in Pretoria, South Africa. As of June 2025, he is 53 years old. Known globally for his futuristic vision and daring ventures, Musk has become one of the most influential and controversial entrepreneurs of the 21st century.

Early Life and Family Background

Elon was raised in a family of mixed Canadian and South African heritage. His mother, Maye Musk, is a Canadian-born model and nutritionist, while his father, Errol Musk, is a South African electromechanical engineer. After his parents divorced when he was 10, Elon primarily lived with his father—an experience he later described as emotionally difficult. He showed early signs of brilliance and curiosity, teaching himself computer programming at the age of 10 and selling his first video game, Blastar, for about $500 at age 12.

Education and Immigration

Musk attended Waterkloof House Preparatory School and Pretoria Boys High School before leaving South Africa at age 17 to avoid mandatory military service. He moved to Canada in 1989 and studied at Queen's University before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned two bachelor's degrees in physics and economics in 1997. He later enrolled in a PhD program at Stanford University but left after just two days to pursue entrepreneurial ventures in the tech world.

Startup Success – From Zip2 to PayPal

In 1995, Elon co-founded Zip2, a city guide software company, with his brother Kimbal Musk. Compaq acquired the company in 1999 for $307 million, netting Elon $22 million. He then founded X.com, an online financial services company, which eventually evolved into PayPal after a merger with Confinity. In 2002, eBay purchased PayPal for $1.5 billion, and Elon walked away with approximately $175 million—fueling the start of his next big dreams.

Founding SpaceX and Tesla

Elon founded SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies Corp.) in 2002, with the goal of making space travel more affordable and ultimately colonizing Mars. As CEO and chief engineer, he oversaw breakthroughs such as reusable rockets and private missions to the International Space Station. In 2004, Musk joined Tesla Motors as chairman and became CEO in 2008. Under his leadership, Tesla revolutionized the electric vehicle industry and became one of the most valuable automakers in the world.

Expanding Vision – Neuralink, The Boring Company, and Twitter (X)

Musk continued pushing boundaries with companies like Neuralink (founded in 2016), focused on brain-computer interfaces, and The Boring Company (2017), which aims to solve urban traffic with underground tunnels. In 2022, he acquired Twitter for $44 billion, rebranding it to X and transforming it into an “everything app” platform—a move that sparked global headlines and public debate.

Global Impact and Innovation

Elon Musk is known for his bold ideas and relentless drive. From proposing the Hyperloop to launching Starlink for global satellite internet, he consistently pushes the boundaries of what’s possible. In 2021, he was named Time’s Person of the Year, and he has regularly traded places with other billionaires as the world’s richest person. As of 2025, his net worth exceeds $200 billion.

Personal Life

Elon Musk is a father to at least 13 children, including twins and triplets from his first marriage to Justine Wilson, children with musician Grimes, and twins with Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis. He is open about having Asperger’s syndrome and has spoken candidly about mental health, work-life balance, and his unique personality. He currently lives in Texas and is known for maintaining a relatively minimal personal lifestyle.

Public Persona and Legacy

Musk is admired for his innovation and criticized for his unfiltered tweets, political views, and unpredictable behavior. Despite the controversies, his ability to inspire large-scale change in industries like energy, transportation, AI, and aerospace is undeniable. His life is a blend of science fiction made real, driven by a mission to ensure humanity’s survival and expansion beyond Earth.