Kimbal Musk is the younger brother of billionaire entrepreneur and innovator Elon Musk. Born in Pretoria, South Africa in 1972, Kimbal was the second of three Musk brothers, after his older brother Elon, and before younger brother, Tosca. He is the co-founder of the nonprofit organization, Big Green. Kimbal’s life before his considerable success was far from glamorous. He worked various odd jobs in the United States while developing a successful career in the technology industry. He has since become an incredibly successful entrepreneur and philanthropist.
Kimbal has had an incredible career in technological entities, such as Zip.ca, OneRiot, The Kitchen Community and many more. He was also a pre-IPO investor in tech companies like Google, Tesla, and PayPal. His startup, OneRiot, was a real-time search engine company aiming to bring together social media, current events, and traditional web search. The kitchen community was another joint venture of Kimbal; this community aimed to provide schoolyard gardens in the United States. The project is now currently used in engaging children and families in food literacy and healthy eating habits. Apart from technology-related startups Kimbal has had his own 9-figure restaurant group, The Kitchen Restaurant Group. Unlike his siblings, Kimbal has taken more of a philanthropic approach to life.
Kimbal has been heading the organization, Big Green, for just over 10 years now. Big Green is an NGO that works to build outdoor learning gardens that involve children and their families in growing and eating healthier food. What started off as a sampling of 63 gardens has now grown to an incredible 1536 Garden School Learning program with a mission to bring the learning element of kitchen garden and cooking classes to every school in United States in a matter of 50 years. They have already planted over 570 gardens in 48 states and three international countries.
Despite the vast gap in their childhood living conditions, the Musk brothers have been inextricably tied together throughout the years. While Elon Musk has become a billionaire with inventions that range from electric cars to rockets, Kimbal has determinedly refused to let his brother’s reputation be a source of connection. Kimbal has refused to use Elon as his springboard to success, instead helping entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs-to-be with his investments and business skills. He has even gone as far as to become an angel investor to get tech ideas off the ground.
Kimbal is also known for his early 2000s venture into professional chess, playing at the World Open Chess Championship in 2000 in Philadelphia. He didn’t place, but his commitment to the game proves his efficiency in not only thriving in tech but other ventures as well. Kimbal has worked all his life to be the successful person he is today without being able to rely on his brother’s influence.
Investments and Ventures
Although, Elon is an undeniably successful entrepreneur, Kimbal has not shied away from the business world either. He is a prominent angel investor and partner who has invested in over 50 companies worldwide, such as Amazon, Zip.ca, and SpaceX. However, most of his entrepreneurial ventures and investments reside within the food industry. Kimbal’s firm, The Kitchen, is a 9-figure group of restaurants and eateries that he co-owns with his partners
Kimbal has also become an Audi board member, allowing the German car maker to tap into the crucial Silicon Valley network. Kimbal co-founded the company, Square Roots which connects the dots between technology, urban farming, and communities. The company offers a selection of sustainable, public-facing indoor urban farms built in converted shipping containers that produce highly-nutritious, chemical-free food.
Founding Mission Springs
In 2016, Kimbal founded his non-profit organization, Mission Springs, with a mission to provide a series of initiatives that will help combat child hunger and encourage healthy, local eating. The organization’s goal is to build a network of Learning Gardens throughout the United States to educate and empower children to grown, cook and eat their own food.
Since its inception, Mission Springs has put its mission into practice by partnering with leading organizations to help communities grow and cook nutritious food, build school gardens and educate new generations of children. In 2017, they launched the Mission Springs water initiative, which provides free, clean water to schools in Nepal.
Life Philosophy
Kimbal strongly believes in living a life of purpose, he emphasizes that one must always remember to give back in whatever capacity. Through his success, Kimbal has chosen to focus on the betterment of society, which has been a driving force behind Mission Springs and Big Green. He even draws out his own methodology, which he refers to as his ‘4 Ps: People, Planet, Profit and Product’, which is focused on putting people, and Mother Nature first, in pursuit of profitable and sustainable business.
Kimbal also hinted that he may be running for public office. If he is successful, this would make him the first Musk brother to be elected into public office, an impressive demonstration of his skills beyond the entrepreneurial and philanthropic world.
How Kimbal Musk Differs From His Brother
Kimbal and Elon Musk have led entirely different lives despite the initial similarities. While Elon has made his fortune through technological innovation, Kimbal has ventured into more low-key businesses, such as restaurants and philanthropic initiatives. While Elon is always pushing boundaries and breaking the status quo, Kimbal is more invested in social betterment while also reigning in entrepreneurship. Elon always encourages others to think big, and challenge boundaries- Kimbal encourages people to remain grounded and remember to always give back.
It is important to note that the Musk brothers were consistent in their goals of helping the world. They are very different in the ways that they approach how to reach those goals, but their intentions remain the same. Contrary to popular belief, the Musk brothers have both demonstrated that there is more than one route to make an impact in this world. It would be illogical to discount the efforts of one based on perceived alignment to his brother’s career path.
Conclusion:
Kimbal Musk has been successful in leaving his own pioneering legacy separate from that of his brother. He has done so by forging his own career in the tech and restaurant industry, as well as through his philanthropic initiatives and other investments. He has also taken a different approach to having a positive impact on the world, through education, fostering healthy eating habits and providing clean water in instances of need. Kimbal mastered the ‘4 Ps’ philosophy, by putting people and Nature first in order to generate some profitable business. It is apparent that the relentless commitment of Kimbal Musk to a successful career, his selflessness and passion to help others and his ability to think of others first, is what makes him an exemplary figure of successful entrepreneurship.
