Early Life and Education
Elon Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa in 1971. His mother, Maye, is a Canadian-born nutritionist and model, while his father Errol is an engineer, who had a job as a navigator in the South African Air Force. He has a younger brother named Kimbal and a younger sister named Tosca. Throughout his childhood, he was never great at making and keeping friends due to his shyness. In 1989, Musk received scholarships and moved to Canada to attend Queen’s University.
When Musk went to college in Canada, he initially attended Queen’s University before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in economics and stayed for a second bachelor’s degree in physics. After completing his college education in 1995, he then moved to California to pursue his dreams.
Rise To Fame
Musk co-founded a web software company known as Zip2 in 1995. He sold his shares of the company in 1999, the same year he began X.com, an online payments platform. It eventually merged with financial service firm Confinity and was renamed PayPal. He served as PayPal’s chairman and chief executive until being replaced by Peter Thiel in October of 2002.
In May of 2002, Musk co-founded a private aerospace manufacturing company, Space Exploration Technologies Corporation or SpaceX for short. In 2008, he launched Falcon 1, the first privately funded liquid-fueled rocket. He also founded Tesla Motors in 2003, the automotive and energy storage company. Musk is the current CEO of both the companies.
Innovative Ideas and Breakthroughs
In 2008, Musk unveiled the Tesla Roadster, the first zero-emissions electric car with a sports car feel. This brought about a new era of electric cars that would eventually become mainstream. Tesla cars have pushed the forefront of innovation in electric cars, and helped pave the way for self-driving cars.
Musk has also developed the Hyperloop, a high-speed transport system that uses air pressure and magnets to move people and goods at speeds of up to 700 miles per hour. He then worked with the U.S. government to help create a space-based internet service, Starlink, to provide high-speed internet to people around the world.
Successful Business Ventures and Net Worth
In addition to his entrepreneurial ventures, Musk is also a successful investor. In 2004, he made an early investment in the renewable energy company SolarCity, which was later acquired by Tesla Motors. He has also invested in many other companies such as DeepMind, OpenAI, Vicarious, and the Elon Musk Foundation, which supports the research of alternative energy.
As of 2021, Elon Musk’s net worth is estimated to be around $183 billion. He is currently the second richest person in the world, second only to Amazon founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos.
Critical Event in Elon Musk’s Life
In 2018, he was sued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for tweeting false and misleading information regarding Tesla. This event caused Tesla’s stock to drop and cost investors millions of dollars. Despite the scandal, Musk was able to settle the lawsuit and remain as CEO of Tesla and SpaceX.
Musk is also known for his eccentric and impulsive behavior, as well as his often unrealistic expectations. This has caused a considerable amount of controversy and criticism of his leadership style. He has been accused of manipulating the stock market, publicly berating his employees, and making controversial comments on social media.
Conclusion
Elon Musk is a man of many talents, and his impact on the world will be long-lasting. He is a daring entrepreneur, a visionary engineer and an outspoken critic. His many accomplishments have made him one of the world’s most successful and admired business leaders.
