LinkedIn Finally Rolls Out The Most Requested Feature By Users Elon Musk, a remarkable South African-born Canadian-American business magnate, continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible with his awe-inspiring accomplishments. Attempting to encapsulate his vast array of achievements and the limitless potential that lies ahead in a single article may seem like an insurmountable task. Albeit, we will give it a shot. Elon R. Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa, and has left an indelible mark on the planet in ways that can only be described as mind-blowing. If you have been living under a rock for the past three decades and do not know who this enigmatic visionary is, here are some mind-boggling facts about Elon Musk that will set your curiosity ablaze. Full Name: Elon Reeve Musk Born: June 28, 1971 (Age 53) Net Worth: $221.2 billion (As of June 2024) Elon Musk Is The richest person in the world as of June 28, 2024, according to Forbes. However, his ranking has experienced significant fluctuations over the past two years, propelling him to the coveted title of the world’s richest billionaire on multiple occasions. Ranked 25th among The World’s Most Powerful People by Forbes 2018. Co-founder, Product Architect and CEO of Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA), a company that designs, manufactures, and sells electric cars worldwide. Co-founder, CEO and CTO of Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), a company that develops and manufactures space launch vehicles with state-of-the-art rocket technology. Co-founder of Neuralink, which develops implantable brain-machine interfaces (BMIs). Founder of The Boring Company, an infrastructure and tunnel construction services company aimed at revolutionizing transportation by developing advanced tunnelling technologies. Co-founder of X.com, which after a merger, went on to become PayPal, the company that revolutionized e-commerce and forever changed the way financial transactions were made. Co-founder of Zip2, a web software company that developed and marketed an Internet city guide for the newspaper publishing industry almost a decade before Google Maps was even launched. In October 2022, Elon Musk completed the acquisition of Twitter, owning an estimated 74% of the social media company. He served as the CEO of Twitter until June 2023 when Linda Yaccarino took over as the new leader. Founded X.AI Corp in March 2023. Doing business as xAI, this artificial intelligence (AI) company aims “to understand the true nature of the universe.” One of the most influential people on Earth. This can be judged by the fact that the stock market dances to his tweets. The 2021 crash of cryptocurrency is the biggest testimony to this fact. Elon Musk Wealth Skyrocketing No ordinary human could have envisioned and achieved all of the above, certainly not pretty much simultaneously. But then again, Elon Musk is no ordinary human being. The media once humorously referred to him as an ‘Alien’ due to his extraordinary capabilities. A true genius and natural-born entrepreneur, Elon continues to push the boundaries of what is possible, leaving us in awe of his unparalleled vision and unwavering determination. Here are some fun and interesting facts about Elon Musk that prove it. Elon Musk Was No ordinary individual. At the mere age of ten, Musk caught the attention of IBM. Eager to assess his potential, they subjected him to a rigorous test, and the outcome left the IBM team astounded. The results unveiled an extraordinary talent within Musk, showcasing one of the most exceptional aptitudes for computer programming they had ever encountered. This early encounter served as a testament to Musk’s innate brilliance and set the stage for his future as a trailblazing entrepreneur and technological visionary. At the age of twelve, Musk developed a space-inspired video game called “Blastar.” He not only created the game but also explored selling it and even considered opening an arcade near his high school. However, his plans didn’t come to fruition because he hadn’t informed his parents about it. Founded his first company, Zip2, in November 1995 at just the age of 24. Zip2 was a web software company that provided online business directories and city guides for newspapers. His visionary efforts paid off handsomely, as by the age of 28, in February 1999, Elon achieved millionaire status by selling Zip2 for a remarkable $307 million in cash. The 7% share of the sale earned him a substantial $22 million. Co-founded X.com (later renamed PayPal) in 1999 with an investment of $10 million from the sale of Zip2. Under Elon Musk’s leadership, PayPal pioneered advanced encryption technologies and fraud detection systems, ensuring the safety and security of online transactions. Following eBay’s acquisition of PayPal in 2002 for a staggering $1.5 billion, Elon Musk reaped the benefits, securing a significant sum of $165 million from the deal. Co-founded Tesla in 2003, with a strong focus on sustainable energy and electric vehicles. Elon’s interest in these areas, sparked in the early 2000s, was driven by a desire to reduce global reliance on fossil fuels. Co-founded Neuralink Corporation in 2016, with a team of seven scientists and engineers. To kickstart the ambitious venture, Musk personally invested $100 million into the company. His fascination with the concept of “neural lace,” inspired by the science fiction universe depicted in Iain M. Banks‘ series of novels called “The Culture,” played a significant role in shaping his interest in Neuralink. Elon Musk is also an engineer par excellence. His fascination with Physics and his immense appetite for learning new things have helped him start some of the world’s most ingenious companies. Just envision this: Musk serves as the Product Architect of Tesla, a pioneering electric car company, while also leading the rocket science team at SpaceX, even without formal training as an aeronautical engineer. It begs the question: How did Elon Musk manage to accomplish what esteemed organizations like NASA, the United States government, and governments worldwide have struggled to achieve? Does Elon Musk have some magical powers? “An engineer is the closest thing to a magician that exists in the real world.” – Elon Musk. There is a common trait among all great entrepreneurs—they dream big. However, no entrepreneur has dared to dream bigger and take more concrete yet ground-shattering steps to change the world than Elon Musk. Here are some of his outrageous goals—outrageous for us mere mortals, very much possible for the man himself. Elon Musk Has Set a goal of enabling the exploration and eventual settlement of the human race on Mars. With unwavering determination, Musk made a promise to transport humans to the red planet within a decade. Plans to rid the world’s dependence on fossil fuels one day. Musk wants to do this by making solar energy the world’s premier energy source. “An asteroid or a super volcano could destroy us, and we face risks the dinosaurs never saw: an engineered virus, inadvertent creation of a micro black hole, catastrophic global warming or some as-yet-unknown technology could spell the end of us. Humankind evolved over millions of years, but in the last sixty years, atomic weaponry created the potential to extinguish ourselves. Sooner or later, we must expand life beyond this green and blue ball—or go extinct.” – Elon Musk. Risk-taking is a common trait among the super successful, albeit to varying degrees. However, few individuals embody this characteristic quite like Elon Musk. Despite having the opportunity to retire after lucrative deals—selling Zip2 for $307 million and PayPal for $1.5 billion—he chose to embark on ventures that few would dare to enter, let alone revolutionize. Musk fearlessly invested a significant portion of his fortune into SpaceX and Tesla Motors, both unconventional industries demanding immense innovation. His audacity and unwavering perseverance have propelled him to become Silicon Valley’s greatest risk-taking success story, leaving an indelible mark on space exploration and sustainable transportation. Elon Musk Had Invested almost all of his net worth, approximately $100 million, into SpaceX as he saw the potential that others did not. While many doubted the feasibility of a private enterprise building space vehicles capable of achieving what NASA had yet to accomplish—transporting humans to Mars—Musk persisted. His boldness and determination to push the boundaries of space exploration have positioned SpaceX as a key player in the race towards interplanetary travel, challenging conventional wisdom and inspiring a new era of space innovation. Invested $6.3 million of his own money to start Tesla Motors, which was the first auto industry start-up in decades and the first auto industry start-up in Silicon Valley ever. Decided to become the man who would go on to save and gradually restore the world’s faith in electric cars. When Tesla Motors was on the verge of collapse and had only enough money to run the company for a couple of months more, Musk put in all his capital reserve to save the company from collapse. Elon’s total investment in Tesla eventually became $75 million. Sold his solar power company SolarCity to himself. His company, Tesla Motors, bought SolarCity for a whopping $2.6 billion in 2016. However, this decision received mixed reactions from the market and analysts, resulting in Tesla losing a staggering $4.1 billion in market valuation overnight. Despite the controversy, it’s clear that Musk’s intention was to revolutionize the automotive industry by integrating solar power capabilities into his futuristic cars. In a make-or-break moment for SpaceX, Elon Musk found himself facing a critical juncture. With the fate of his space company hanging in the balance, he embarked on the fourth and final attempt to launch a rocket into Earth’s orbit. He required $20 million to keep the company running, but to his surprise, there were no investors, and he himself did not have enough personal capital reserve to invest in the company. Failure on this final attempt would have resulted in the end of SpaceX. However, against the odds, the mission proved successful, ultimately saving the company from demise. This triumph opened new doors for SpaceX, as NASA recognized their capabilities and awarded them a game-changing contract worth $1.6 billion to service space stations. Elon Musk’s investment portfolio spans beyond prominent companies like Twitter, SpaceX, Tesla Motors, Paypal, and Zip2. With a staggering 19 investments under his belt, Musk demonstrates his diverse interests and involvement in various industries. Some of those companies are OpenAI, DeepMind Technologies, Didi Chuxing, SolarCity (prior to its acquisition by Tesla), Ad Astra Rocket Company, Hyperloop One, Stripe, Ascape VR, and Vicarious. If you think you have read enough about Musk’s outrageous yet successful attempts at changing the world, then these next few facts are sure to blow your minds to sub-atomic debris-sized pieces. Elon Musk Is Currently The second wealthiest person in the world with a $217 billion net worth, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The president of the Musk Foundation, a philanthropic organization with a multifaceted mission. The foundation’s primary objectives include providing solar-powered energy systems in disaster-stricken areas, and supporting research, development, and advocacy in various fields such as human space exploration, paediatrics, renewable energy, and safe artificial intelligence. Additionally, the foundation strives to foster science and engineering education. Working on a concept called the Hyperloop. The Hyperloop is a hypothetical subsonic air travel machine allowing commuters to travel 500 kilometres in less than 30 minutes. This is a proposed high-speed rail system that plans to put current commercial aeroplanes to shame. In December 2018, the company unveiled the first underground transport tunnel for a test ride. The concept further emphasizes the utilization of solar energy as the primary power source, aiming to make the Hyperloop not only the fastest but also the most cost-effective mode of transportation mankind has ever witnessed. Actively working towards reducing the cost of space travel to fulfil his ultimate vision of enabling human colonization on Mars, as soon as possible. Elon Musk Personal Life First Marriage: Elon Musk met Justine Wilson while studying at Queen’s University in the early ’90s. Despite initially trying to reject his advances, she was eventually won over by his persistence and romantic gestures, such as shopping sprees at bookstores. She said in an interview, “he’s not a man who takes no for an answer.” They got married in 2000. Tragically, their first child, Nevada Alexander, passed away from sudden infant death syndrome. To continue building their family, they turned to in vitro fertilization (IVF) and had twins in 2004, followed by triplets in 2006. Musk and Wilson divorced in 2008 but remained committed to co-parenting their children. Second and Third Marriage: In 2008, Elon Musk started dating Talulah Jane Riley-Milburn, an English actress and writer. They got married in 2010 and divorced in March 2012. However, they reconciled and remarried in July 2013. Unfortunately, their second marriage also ended in divorce in October 2016. In an interview with Forbes, Musk said, “We took some time apart for several months to see if absence makes the heart grow fonder, and unfortunately it did not. I still love her, but I’m not in love with her. And I can’t really give her what she wants.” Relationship with Amber Heard: Elon Musk began dating Amber Heard in 2016, following their respective divorces from Johnny Depp and Talulah Riley. They publicly confirmed their relationship in April 2017 via Instagram photo. However, their relationship ended in February 2018. In April 2021, Heard had her first child, a daughter born via surrogacy, sparking speculation from many sources that Musk could be the father. Relationship with Grimes: In May 2018, Elon Musk began dating Canadian musician Grimes. They connected on Twitter over a pun involving Rococo and Roko’s basilisk. The couple welcomed a son together in May 2020. Initially, the child’s name was given as “X Æ A-12,” but it was later adjusted to comply with California regulations and became “X AE A-Xii.” Musk and Grimes also had a daughter named Exa Dark Sideræl Musk in December 2021 via surrogacy. Despite a reported separation in 2021, their relationship status has been described as fluid. In September 2023, they welcomed a third child, a son named Techno Mechanicus. Elon Musk and Grimes are currently in a legal dispute over parental rights and custody of their eldest son. In November 2021, Elon Musk had twins with Shivon Zilis, the director of operations and special projects at Neuralink. While some reports raised questions about workplace ethics since Zilis directly reported to Musk, other sources suggest that the twins were conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF) and that Musk and Zilis were not involved romantically. They welcomed their third child together in early 2024. “I think it would be extremely unwise for me to jump into a third marriage without spending considerable time figuring out if the third one will work. It was never my intention to have a short marriage. Essentially I’d want to be super sure before getting married again, but I certainly would love to be in a relationship for sure,” Elon Musk said. Elon Musk Leadership Style Musk’s managerial style is often described as micromanagement, and he even humorously refers to himself as a “nano-manager.” His management approach has been characterized as absolutist, and he prefers an iterative design methodology and a tolerance for failures rather than formal business plans. Musk’s communication with employees is direct, often through mass emails. He has a “carrot and stick” approach, rewarding constructive criticism but being known to impulsively threaten, use profanity, and fire employees. Long working hours, up to 80 hours per week, are expected from his employees. Non-disclosure agreements are strict, and he has carried out firing sprees during challenging periods, like the Model 3 production challenges in 2018. In late 2022, he announced plans to lay off 10% of Tesla’s workforce due to economic concerns. He also suspended remote work at SpaceX and Tesla, threatening to fire employees who didn’t work 40 hours per week in the office. Similarly, after taking over Twitter, Musk implemented significant changes such as employee terminations, the discontinuation of remote work, and the enforcement of rigorous working hours. Opinions on Musk’s leadership vary. Some credit his leadership style for the success of Tesla and his other ventures, while others criticize him as being callous and lacking human understanding. As Elon Musk turns 53 today, we hope he continues pushing his ideas to limits so that the human race can benefit from his efforts in the long run. Musk’s extraordinary visions and remarkable achievements serve as an inspiration to fellow entrepreneurs, encouraging them to dare to dream big and make a profound impact on the world. Here’s to a visionary leader whose contributions have the potential to shape a brighter future for all. Happy birthday, Elon Musk! Bonus fun fact: The character of Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr. in the Iron Man series, is inspired by Elon Musk’s real life. The post is a part of a B’day Series where we celebrate the birthday of renowned personalities from the Tech Industry, very frequently. The series includes Entrepreneurs, C-level Executives, innovators, or renewed leaders who moved the industry with their exponential skill set and vision. The intent is to highlight the person’s achievements and touch base the little known, but interesting, part of his life. You can see the list of all earlier celebrated tech personalities, including Mark Zuckerberg, Marissa Mayor, Sean Parker, Andy Rubin, Julian Assange, Sir Richard Branson, and Sergey Brin, by following this link or subscribing to your daily newsletter. Tags