Before Elon Musk revolutionized the world of renewable energy, pushed the boundaries of space travel and colonization, and changed the perception of electric cars, he was a kid in school. Musk was born in South Africa on June 28, 1971 and was educated at local high schools after moving to Canada and eventually the United States. As his interests in pioneering technology, business and engineering took hold, did Elon Musk achieve any academic distinction?
There is no public record of Musk’s academic achievement, but there are plenty of biographical sources to provide insight into the high schooler Elon Musk was. As rare as the kind of luck that Musk has experienced, his luck in the classroom was often just as extraordinary.
Despite his incredible intelligence that earned him admission to a prestigious university at age 17 and seeded his revolutionary thinking, Musk was a less than stellar student in his formative years. A former teacher of Musk’s described him as “inattentive and disruptive” as a grade school student, a pattern that Musk himself admitted to when interviewing with Rolling Stone in 2012.
Ever the shrewd businessman, Musk was playing below his intellectual level in order to maximize his potential opportunities in life. He wanted the freedom to pursue his own interests, free from distraction and academic rigour.
According to his biographers, the only reason he was succeeding with the work he was given was because he was already smart enough not to feel challenged by it. He wasn’t getting good grades but instead was doing enough to not fail. That way he was able to dedicate more time to his own interests.
Musk’s Creative Thinking as Relief from School
In school, Musk was often relieved from the boredom of traditional schooling by imagining and creating his own inventions. These inventions were not only diversions from his assignments, but in some cases ended up being the basis for businesses that he would create years later.
“When Elon ran out of books, he started venturing onto the Internet, where he stumbled across a new one: the encyclopedia. He started out at A and read through it all the way to Z, devouring it in the process,” reads an article from Xconomy. “It was this constant reading habit that served as both a leisure activity and an education, and helped him learn the basics of programming, chemistry, and other science and engineering topics.”
Described by history as a polymath, Musk’s education did not come only from books. He was writing software programs in grade school, working on computers and building rockets at age 12, and getting into fights with bullies as he honed his self-confidence.
Harvard and Stanford Education
Musk received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania, but he did manage to get accepted to a prestigious graduate program at Stanford University when he was 17. He had dreams of becoming an internet entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, and his admission to Stanford sparked those aspirations.
While Musk was accepted to an Ivy League school in Harvard University, he ultimately chose Stanford because silicon valley startups existed there at the time and he wanted to take advantage of them. He did not last too long, however, departing the program after just two days to pursue his dream of founding Zip2 with his brother, Kimbal.
The entrepreneurial direction that Musk took was an unconventional approach that carries with it a unique reward system. While anyone looking to make money will often have to get good grades; much of the success that Musk has experienced with the businesses he’s founded could not be attributed to anything beyond his brilliant and relentless work ethic.
Musk’s Legacy as a Lesson for Students
It’s not important if Elon Musk got good grades in school, His story is more about using education in a creative way, looking for opportunities to explore your interests, and finding paths to success that may differ from the traditional routes.
Rather than pointing to Musk’s academic capability, however, he has been held up as a role model for those who may be avoiding traditional learning due to lack of motivation or the necessity for a non-traditional schooling route.
At the end of the day, good grades are not the predictor of success or the accomplishment of dreams. Musk’s story proves that success isn’t only found through academics, but through determination, hard work, and innovation.
Musk’s Personal Life during Education
Aside from his ambition and entrepreneurship, there’s plenty to take from Musk’s story as a student. Not only does his story provide a success story for those who haven’t excelled in school, but it provides a bright example of self-improvement.
Elon Musk’s personal life was far from ideal. Separated from his father, with whom he maintains a strained relationship, Musk was raised by his mother Maye and his brother Kimbal in spite of their challenging financial situation. Despite these issues, Musk was able to rise above his unique circumstances to become an unparalleled success.
Effort, ambition, and creativity are traits that are unteachable, and these specific characteristics are what we can look at when considering Elon Musk’s success, rather than any hypothetical grade in school.
Entrepreneurial Success can Compensate for Poor Grades
In the case of Musk’s intellectual development, the more relevant question than his grades would be the entrepreneurial skills he has honed from an early age. Musk’s success in business ultimately overshadowed his shortcomings as an academic.
He was able to turn his curiosity, creativity and passion into real-world results through the formation of some of the companies that have changed the world. The lack of a focused attention span in school would go on to fuel the success of Tesla Motors, SpaceX, SolarCity and other innovative businesses.
Musk’s story is any student’s dream; proof that with patience, dedication and hard work, anyone can make their dreams come to life. It’s also a reminder that grades are less important than you think, and that it’s not impossible to find success without traditional schooling.
Educational Programs and Resources Promotion
Despite what many believe, Musk was not entirely self-taught. He certainly had access to the tools to prepare himself for his future, not just from his exploration of the encyclopedia but from educational programs available within the school.
Today, Musk often speaks about the importance of education for young entrepreneurs, citing the need for open source educational resources in the classroom, especially for those without the means to attend traditional academia.
In promoting a non-traditional route for higher education, Musk has also founded a number of scholarship programs, such as the Tesla and SpaceX scholarships to assist those who don’t have the same access to education that he did.
These scholarships, educational programs and other resources have provided educational opportunities to those who don’t have access, inspiring them in the same way that Musk’s story has inspired many.
Lesson: Develop Your Entrepreneurial Intelligence
Even though Musk dropped out of Stanford, it’s important to remember that he didn’t drop out of school altogether. He was still learning, just on a different platform, outside of the classroom. One of the lessons to take away from Elon Musk is that knowledge comes from more than a textbook, but from experience and putting your own intelligence to the test.
The world has been transformed by the technology Musk has brought forth, and each day more of his goals are realized. A revolutionary thinker and a successful entrepreneur, what matters is not that Musk got good grades, but that he has had the courage to follow his own vision and to take risks, even in the face of failure.
Learning to Balance Analysis and Curiosity
The only thing that can save the world is an education system based on analysis and curiosity, not preordained expectations or memorization. Elon Musk is hardly a role model in the traditional academic sense, yet in his own unique way he has been able to develop his own entrepreneurial intelligence and use that knowledge to pursue the goals he’s set for himself.
For those who have found success outside of traditional schooling, Musk’s story inspires and provides hope to those who fear they have been shut out of the education system. Musk’s path continues to be eclectic and inspiring, and provides an example of what can be achieved by taking risks and following your own passions.
