Jun 29, 2025 From Silicon Valley upstart to global tech titan, Elon Musk’s journey is a story of vision, resilience, and disruption. As he turned 54 on June 28, here is a look at his journey As Elon Musk turned 54 on June 28, the world once again turned its gaze to one of the most enigmatic and impactful innovators of today’s time. With a life that reads like science fiction and a mind that constantly pushes the boundaries of the possible, Musk’s journey is as electrifying as the technologies he champions. From his early ventures to commanding empires in space, automotive, and artificial intelligence, Elon Musk has become synonymous with the future. Humble Beginnings and Big Dreams Born in Pretoria, South Africa in 1971, Musk was a curious and introverted child who found solace in books and computers. At the age of 12, he coded and sold a video game named Blastar. By 17, he moved to Canada, later transferring to the University of Pennsylvania. A short stint at Stanford University for a PhD in physics ended in just two days — Musk had already caught the internet bug. His first venture, Zip2, provided city guide software to newspapers and was sold to Compaq for nearly USD 300 million in 1999. Musk pocketed USD 22 million from the deal. But instead of resting on his laurels, he ploughed ahead, co-founding X.com, which later became PayPal. When eBay acquired it for USD 1.5 billion in 2002, Musk emerged with USD 180 million — and much bigger plans. Tesla: Driving the Future Perhaps no company is more closely associated with Musk than Tesla. Though not a founder, Musk became its defining force as chairman and later CEO. At a time when electric vehicles were considered niche and impractical, Musk envisioned a mass-market EV revolution. Today, Tesla is not just a carmaker — it’s a clean energy powerhouse, with gigafactories around the globe, and vehicles that have redefined performance, software, and sustainability. Tesla’s Model S, 3, X, Y — and now the Cybertruck and Roadster — are not only symbols of luxury but also a statement that electric mobility is here to stay. Under Musk, Tesla didn’t just make cars — it made believers. SpaceX: To Infinity and Beyond If Tesla is Musk’s present, then SpaceX is his future. Founded in 2002 with the audacious goal of colonising Mars, SpaceX was initially dismissed as a billionaire’s fantasy. But by 2008, it had become the first private company to send a rocket, Falcon 1, into orbit. Since then, it has achieved a series of groundbreaking milestones: the first private spacecraft to dock with the International Space Station, the reusable Falcon 9, and the Starship project — humanity’s most promising ticket to Mars. SpaceX’s launches are now live-streamed global events. With contracts from NASA, satellite internet ventures like Starlink, and plans for lunar missions, Musk’s vision of making life “multiplanetary” is no longer fiction. Neuralink, AI, and the Boundaries of Humanity Never one to stay in one domain, Musk has also dived into brain-computer interfaces through Neuralink, which aims to create direct communication between humans and machines — potentially treating neurological diseases and enhancing cognition. Meanwhile, xAI, his latest AI venture, was launched to build “safe” artificial general intelligence that aligns with humanity’s values. A vocal critic of unregulated AI, Musk's vision balances the promise and peril of the technology. The Twitter (Now X) Takeover In 2022, Musk’s acquisition of Twitter (now X) was one of the most controversial and closely watched tech takeovers in history. Advocating for “absolute free speech,” he overhauled the platform's policies, leadership, and algorithms — attracting both staunch defenders and critics. Under his ownership, X has evolved from a microblogging site to an all-encompassing “everything app” blending news, video, payments, and creator tools. Social Media And Public Persona On social media, he is unpredictable, often controversial, yet unfiltered — a billionaire who tweets memes, responds to random users, and shares his failures as candidly as his triumphs. Despite his wealth — consistently ranking among the world’s richest — Musk lives relatively modestly. In 2021, he famously sold most of his homes and reportedly lives in a small prefab house near SpaceX’s launch site in Texas. Legacy in Motion Today, Musk stands at the intersection of technology, business, and philosophy. He has not only disrupted industries but also reshaped humanity’s vision of what the future could be. His companies aim to address some of Earth’s most pressing challenges — climate change, sustainable energy, and multiplanetary survival. But Musk’s legacy will be defined not just by his innovations, but by his audacity — the rare ability to dream wildly, fail publicly, and keep moving forward. A Birthday Salute to the Visionary On his 54th birthday, tributes have poured in from across the globe, with millions joining in to celebrate the man who dared to dream beyond the atmosphere. Whether you admire or criticise him, there’s no denying: Elon Musk has changed the world.