{"id":17477,"date":"2023-11-08T15:30:18","date_gmt":"2023-11-08T14:30:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ceoinfluencers.com\/?p=17477"},"modified":"2023-11-08T15:30:18","modified_gmt":"2023-11-08T14:30:18","slug":"when-did-elon-musk-get-us-citizenship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ceoinfluencers.com\/when-did-elon-musk-get-us-citizenship\/","title":{"rendered":"When Did Elon Musk Get Us Citizenship"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Background<\/h2>\n

Elon Musk is an entrepreneur and innovator, best known for founding Tesla Motors, Space Exploration Technologies Corp and SolarCity. He immigrated to the United States from South Africa in the 1990s and has since become a naturalized U.S. citizen. Becoming a U.S. citizen is an important step for immigrants, granting them the rights and protections of any other natural-born citizen. So when did Elon Musk become a U.S. citizen?<\/p>\n

Timeline of events<\/h2>\n

After graduating with degree in economics and physics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1997, Elon Musk moved to California and founded his first company in 1999. Over the following years, he quickly became a successful entrepreneur and investor. In 2002, after three years in the US, Musk applied for U.S. citizenship and had his application approved in May 2002.
\nBefore becoming a citizen, Musk had local state residency. He was able to establish that through a combination of factors, such as attending college in California, owning a home in the state, and establishing a business in the state.<\/p>\n

Why did he decide to become a U.S. citizen?<\/h2>\n

The main reason why Musk applied for U.S. citizenship was because he needed to be able to travel freely between countries. At that time, South Africa was not part of the Visa Waiver Program, which allows visa-free travel for some nations. As a U.S. citizen, he would be able to travel more freely and not have to worry about visa requirements.
\nAnother reason why he chose to become a U.S. citizen was because it provided him with more opportunities to invest and build businesses. Being a citizen of the United States meant he could do business with a much larger pool of potential customers, investors and partners compared to South Africa.<\/p>\n

How has his citizenship helped his businesses?<\/h2>\n

Since becoming a U.S. citizen in 2002, Elon Musk has established some of the most successful companies in the world. His companies have had a transformative effect on multiple industries, ranging from renewable energy to aerospace. The legal protection afforded to Musk by his U.S. citizenship has been essential in helping him establish and run his companies.
\nThe U.S. tax system allows citizens to be taxed at lower rates than many other nations, particularly if they are non-citizens. This has allowed Musk to move money between different countries with minimal tax consequences, which has enabled him to fund his projects without having to worry about prohibitive taxes.<\/p>\n

How does citizenship affect his ability to innovate?<\/h2>\n