Elon Reeve Musk FRS (/ˈiːlɒn/ EE-lon; born June 28, 1971) is a business magnate, industrial designer, and engineer. He is the founder, CEO, CTO, and chief designer of SpaceX; early investor, CEO, and product architect of Tesla, Inc.; founder of The Boring Company; co-founder of Neuralink; and co-founder and initial co-chairman of OpenAI. A centibillionaire, Musk is one of the richest people in the world.
Musk was born to a Canadian mother and South African father and raised in Pretoria, South Africa. He briefly attended the University of Pretoria before moving to Canada aged 17 to attend Queen's University. He transferred to the University of Pennsylvania two years later, where he received dual bachelor's degrees in economics and physics. He moved to California in 1995 to attend Stanford University but decided instead to pursue a business career, co-founding web software company Zip2 with his brother Kimbal. The start-up was acquired by Compaq for $307 million in 1999. Musk co-founded online bank X.com that same year, which merged with Confinity in 2000 to form the company PayPal and was subsequently bought by eBay for $1.5 billion in October 2002.
Musk co-founded SpaceX, an aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company, of which he is CEO, CTO, and lead designer. In 2004, he joined electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla Motors, Inc. (now Tesla, Inc.) as chairman and product architect, becoming its CEO in 2008. In 2006, he helped create SolarCity, a solar energy services company (now a subsidiary of Tesla). In 2015, he co-founded OpenAI, a nonprofit research company that promotes friendly artificial intelligence. In 2016, he co-founded Neuralink, a neurotechnology company focused on developing brain–machine interfaces, and founded The Boring Company, a tunnel construction company. Musk has also proposed the Hyperloop, a high-speed vactrain transportation system.
Musk has faced criticism for his public statements and behavior. In 2018, he was sued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for making false and misleading tweets about potentially taking Tesla private. The SEC and Musk settled, with Musk agreeing to pay a fine and step down as chairman of Tesla, although he remained CEO. In 2019, the SEC sued him again for allegedly violating the terms of the original settlement by tweeting material information about Tesla without pre-approval. The SEC and Musk settled again, with Musk agreeing to have his social media posts about Tesla pre-approved by a company lawyer. In 2020, he faced criticism for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and for his controversial statements about it.
In addition to his work in the technology and energy industries, Musk has also pursued projects in other fields. He has proposed the development of a high-speed transportation system called the Hyperloop, and has invested in the development of a supersonic jet called the Musk electric jet.
Musk has also been involved in several philanthropic efforts. In 2002, he helped create the Musk Foundation, which focuses on science and engineering education, pediatric health, and clean energy. In 2010, he donated $10 million to the Future of Life Institute to fund research on ways to ensure that artificial intelligence is used for the benefit of humanity.
Musk has received numerous awards and honors for his work, including being named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in 2013 and 2014, and being named one of Forbes' Most Powerful People in 2016, 2017, and 2018. He has also been the subject of much media attention and public fascination, with many people drawn to his ambitious plans and his larger-than-life personality. Despite the controversy and criticism that he has faced, Musk remains a highly influential figure in the tech industry and beyond.Musk's companies have faced numerous controversies and legal challenges. In 2010, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket suffered an engine failure, leading to the destruction of the rocket and the loss of its payload. The company faced criticism for its handling of the accident, and the incident was investigated by the U.S. Air Force. In 2015, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded during a routine test, causing significant damage to the launchpad and prompting a temporary halt to SpaceX's launches.
Musk's leadership at Tesla has also been the subject of criticism. In 2017, Musk was sued by a former employee who claimed that he was wrongfully terminated after raising concerns about safety at the company's factory. In 2018, Musk faced criticism for his handling of a series of controversies, including his public statements about taking Tesla private, his use of Twitter, and his behavior at a company event. In 2019, he was sued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for making false and misleading statements about potentially taking Tesla private. The SEC and Musk settled, with Musk agreeing to pay a fine and step down as chairman of Tesla, although he remained CEO.
Musk's personal behavior has also been the subject of controversy. In 2018, he smoked marijuana during an interview on a podcast, and in 2019, he was sued by a British cave diver whom he had accused of being a pedophile.
Despite these controversies, Musk has remained a highly influential figure in the tech industry and beyond. His companies have achieved significant milestones, including the successful launch and recovery of multiple rockets, the development of electric vehicles with long range and high performance, and the deployment of solar energy systems. Musk has also continued to be a vocal advocate for the development of clean energy and the advancement of artificial intelligence.
As CEO of Tesla, Musk has been instrumental in the development and production of electric vehicles, energy storage systems, and solar panel manufacturing. Under his leadership, Tesla has become one of the most successful and innovative companies in the renewable energy industry, and its electric vehicles are widely regarded as some of the best in the world.
In addition to his work at Tesla, Musk has also been involved in a number of other ventures. He is the CEO and lead designer of SpaceX, an aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company that is working to revolutionize space travel and establish a permanent human presence on Mars. He is also the founder of The Boring Company, a tunnel construction company that is working to develop a high-speed transportation system called the Hyperloop.
Musk has also been involved in several philanthropic efforts. In 2002, he helped create the Musk Foundation, which focuses on science and engineering education, pediatric health, and clean energy. In 2010, he donated $10 million to the Future of Life Institute to fund research on ways to ensure that artificial intelligence is used for the benefit of humanity.
Despite the numerous controversies and challenges he has faced, Musk has remained a highly influential figure in the tech industry and beyond. His companies have achieved significant milestones, and his innovative ideas and vision for the future have inspired many people around the world.