Early life and Family
Elon Musk was born on June 28th, 1971 in Pretoria, South Africa. He is the son of Maye Musk, a Canadian dietitian, and Errol Musk, a South African electromechanical engineer, pilot, sailor, and businessman. Musk has two siblings, a brother, Kimbal Musk, and a sister, Tosca Musk. His maternal grandfather was a British inventor descended from Polish noblemen. His paternal great-grandfather was an Austrian-born British businessman.
Education
Musk was educated at the prestigious Waterkloof House Preparatory School. After that, he attended Bryanston High School and subsequently graduated from Pretoria Boys High School. By the age of 17, he had obtained Canadian citizenship through his mother, and later in life he gained dual citizenship with the United States. He studied business and physics at the University of Pennsylvania and got a degree in economics from Wharton School of Business. Musk later enrolled in a physics program at Stanford University but left two days later to launch his first company.
Career
After leaving Stanford, Musk founded a software company, Zip2. The enterprise which provided online city guides to newspapers such as The New York Times, attracted investors and was eventually sold in 1999 to Compaq for $307 million. Musk then co-founded an online bank, known as X.com which was later bought by eBay. In 2002, Musk then went on to found his own space exploration company, SpaceX, to build and launch rockets and spacecraft with the intention of enabling his own plan to colonize Mars. Though founded in 2002, SpaceX had its first major success a decade later when its Falcon 9 rocket landed upright on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean in December 2015.
Tesla, SolarCity and other companies
As of 2007, Musk had become a major shareholder in and the chairman of Tesla Motors. Musk had been inspired by electric car pioneer and general Motors founder, the late Henry Ford, over a hundred years earlier with the intention of bringing sustainable transportation to market. He and his team of engineers at Tesla Motors went on to pioneer a lithium-ion battery powered all-electric automobile, the Roadster. The launch of the Tesla Model S also helped launch the electric car into the mainstream. In addition, Musk is the CEO and product architect at Tesla, serves on the Tesla Board of Directors and is chairman of the SolarCity Board of Directors.
Influence and Achievements
Musk’s pioneering work and considerable wealth have earned him a reputation as one of the most influential entrepreneurs today. Whether it’s revolutionising transportation or investing in renewable energies, Musk is committed to advancing the cause of sustainability and engineering the future. His ambitious initiatives have seen him win many awards including being named as Fortune’s Businessperson of the Year in 2013, as well as being presented with an honorary doctorate from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden.
Philanthropy
In addition to his various business activities, Musk has also devoted considerable time to philanthropic causes. He gave US$10 million to fund the Musk Foundation which does philanthropic work in renewable energy, science education, paediatric health care and other causes. He has also contributed to the Future of Life Institute, a Boston-based non-profit organization focusing on mitigating existential risks posed by advanced artificial intelligence.
The Personal Life of Elon Musk
Musk currently has six children. He was married twice, first to Justine Wilson and then to the British actress Talulah Riley. He also had a high-profile on-off relationship with the Canadian singer Grimes.
Collaborations and Ambitions
His various projects such as Tesla, SpaceX and SolarCity have resulted in some of the world’s most ambitious and influential collaborations. His drive and enthusiasm have earned him respect from many sectors, from space industry veterans to Silicon Valley engineers, as well as recognition from global corporations such as Google, Apple and Microsoft. Elected as the Chief Product Architect of Tesla Motors, Musk is a leader in the advancement of green energy and renewable energies, as well as transportation and communication technologies. He is also the visionary and founder of the Hyperloop project, a high-speed transportation system connecting major cities in the form of vacuum tubes.
Current Ventures
Most recently, in 2016, Musk unveiled a new master plan that sees Tesla Motors, SolarCity and SpaceX all interconnecting in order to reduce global reliance on fossil fuels and revolutionise sustainable transportation and energy. His enthusiasm and enthusiasm for technology are now more evident than ever and it is this driving ambition, to take on the most complicated tasks of our time, that has earned him the respect of industry leaders and observers alike.
Technological Visionary
Elon Musk is a visionary of technology and an inspiration to many aspiring entrepreneurs. His successes in the creation of Tesla and SpaceX have propelled him to legendary status and clearly indicate his commitment and ability to follow through on ambitious projects. He has said, “If something is important enough, even if the odds are against you, you should still do it.” This mindset is part of what has made Elon Musk such a success and he remains a key figure in the technological landscape and an inspiring example of what one person can achieve.
