Who is the richest in the world? No doubt, there is only one name and that is Elon Reeve Musk. He is a business tycoon and an engineer. He has founded many businesses and his main focus is on space engineering and has been trying to bring some revolutionary changes in the culture of space travel. Elon has founded more than 10 companies that are working successfully. He was born to Errol Musk and Maye Musk. Elon has been featured recently in Time magazine as the person of the year.
Who Is Elon Musk?
Elon Reeve Musk, born June 28, 1971, in Pretoria, South Africa, is a businessman, inventor, and visionary known for founding and leading some of the world’s most influential companies, including Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, The Boring Company, and xAI. Musk’s relentless drive to solve humanity’s biggest challenges—such as sustainable energy, interplanetary colonization, and artificial intelligence—has made him a global icon. His leadership of X (formerly Twitter) and his advisory role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the Trump administration further amplify his influence. As of May 2025, Forbes estimates his net worth at $424.7 billion, cementing his status as the wealthiest individual on the planet.
ELON MUSK Early Life
Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa, on June 28, 1971. He is now in his 50s. He was born to Errol Musk and Maye Musk. Elon started his schooling in Waterkloof house preparatory school and Bryanston high school. Elon later graduated from Pretoria Boys High School. He was very interested since his childhood in computing and video games. He started coding at the age of 12. His father had a mining business. They owned an Emerald mine and a big house in Pretoria. His parents got divorced when he was young. And Elon decided to stay with his father what he regrets.
ELON MUSK Professional Life
Elon has started his journey as the CEO and Chief Engineer of Space X. He has founded many businesses along with his associates. He is confident and a proper entrepreneur. Elon is Successful in almost every effort he makes and had been making. He has a net worth of 297 Billion US dollars making him the richest person in the world. He has established Zip.2; X.com and Paypal; Tesla; SEC Lawsuit, Solar and Tesla Energy, and many more. Almost all of his enterprise has been successful. He has been trying to minimize the cost of space experiments. Tesla has brought the first fully electric car to the market.
ELON MUSK Personal Life
Elon Musk is an American-born Canadian and also has the citizenship of South Africa. He has been a very determined person about his work throughout his life. He married his first wife Justine Wilson a Canadian author in 2000 and got divorced in 2008. After two years of their divorce in 2010, musk Talulah Riley. But in 2012 he also got divorced. He has 6 children. There was also a rumor that he had been dating Amber Heard since 2012.
| Full Name | Elon Reeve Musk |
| Date of Birth | June 28, 1971 |
| Father | Errol Musk |
| Mother | Maye Musk |
| Wife |
|
| Sibling | 2(Kimbal Musk, Tosca Musk) |
| Children | 6(Elon Musk, Kimbal Musk, Tosca Musk, Elliot Rush Musk, Alexandra Musk, Asha Musk) |
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Career and Business Ventures
Elon Musk’s career is a testament to his ability to identify emerging fields and transform them through innovation. Below is a detailed look at his major ventures, which have significantly contributed to his wealth and global influence.
Key Companies and Milestones
|
Company |
Founded/Joined |
Industry |
Key Achievements |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Zip2 |
1995 (Co-founded) |
Software/Online City Guides |
Sold to Compaq for $307 million in 1999, netting Musk $22 million. |
|
X.com/PayPal |
1999 (Co-founded) |
Online Financial Services |
Merged with Confinity to form PayPal; sold to eBay for $1.5 billion in 2002, earning Musk $175.8 million. |
|
SpaceX |
2002 (Founded) |
Space Exploration |
Pioneered reusable rockets; valued at $350 billion in 2024; contracts with NASA worth $20 billion. |
|
Tesla, Inc. |
2004 (Joined) |
Electric Vehicles/Clean Energy |
Transformed EV industry; Musk owns ~13% of shares; market cap hit $1 trillion in 2021. |
|
SolarCity |
2006 (Co-founded) |
Solar Energy |
Acquired by Tesla in 2016; now part of Tesla Energy. |
|
Neuralink |
2016 (Co-founded) |
Neurotechnology |
Developing brain-machine interfaces; valued at ~$5 billion. |
|
The Boring Company |
2016 (Founded) |
Infrastructure/Tunneling |
Aims to reduce urban congestion; valued at ~$5 billion. |
|
X (Twitter) |
2022 (Acquired) |
Social Media |
Acquired for $44 billion; renamed X in 2023; valued at ~$9 billion in 2024. |
|
xAI |
2023 (Founded) |
Artificial Intelligence |
Valued at $85 billion in 2025; develops AI to accelerate human discovery. |
Career Highlights
- Zip2 and PayPal: Musk’s early ventures capitalized on the internet boom. Zip2 provided online city guides, and X.com evolved into PayPal, revolutionizing online payments. These sales provided the capital for his later ventures.
- SpaceX: Founded to make space travel affordable, SpaceX achieved milestones like the Falcon 9 and Starship, with a vision for Mars colonization. Its $350 billion valuation in 2024 reflects its dominance in commercial spaceflight.
- Tesla: Musk joined Tesla in 2004 as an investor and became CEO in 2008. Under his leadership, Tesla became the world’s most valuable carmaker, with models like the Model S, 3, X, and Y driving the global shift to electric vehicles.
- X Acquisition: In 2022, Musk acquired Twitter for $44 billion, rebranding it as X to create a “super app.” Despite controversies and a valuation drop to $9 billion, X remains a powerful platform for Musk’s influence.
- Other Ventures: Neuralink and The Boring Company, though in early stages, show Musk’s focus on futuristic technologies. xAI, founded in 2023, aims to advance AI for human benefit, with a valuation of $85 billion in 2025.
Musk’s approach—investing heavily in his companies, retaining control, and focusing on transformative technologies—has been key to his success. His wealth is tied to his stakes in Tesla (13%), SpaceX (42%), and xAI (54%), with Tesla and SpaceX being the primary drivers.
ELON MUSK Net Worth and Earnings
As of May 2025, Elon Musk’s net worth is estimated at $424.7 billion by Forbes, making him the world’s richest person. His wealth has seen dramatic fluctuations, peaking at $486.4 billion in December 2024 before dropping due to Tesla stock volatility. Below is a breakdown of his wealth sources and earnings.
Wealth Breakdown
|
Asset |
Estimated Value |
Ownership Stake |
Contribution to Net Worth |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Tesla |
$120 billion+ |
13% + 304M options |
58.3% (~$247.7 billion) |
|
SpaceX |
$350 billion |
42% |
26.6% (~$112.9 billion) |
|
X (Twitter) |
$9 billion |
74% |
2% (~$6.7 billion) |
|
xAI |
$85 billion |
33% |
6.4% (~$27 billion) |
|
Neuralink |
$5 billion |
Significant |
1.2% (~$5 billion) |
|
The Boring Company |
$5 billion |
Significant |
1.2% (~$5 billion) |
|
Other Investments |
– | – |
1.4% (~$6 billion) |
Data sourced from Forbes and Bloomberg, 2025.
Earnings Structure
- Tesla Compensation: Musk does not take a traditional salary from Tesla. His 2018 compensation package, valued at $56 billion, was tied to market cap and performance milestones. However, a Delaware judge voided this package in 2024, calling it “unfathomable.” Musk’s wealth from Tesla comes primarily from his stock options and shares.
- Other Ventures: SpaceX’s valuation surged due to a 2024 tender offer, significantly boosting Musk’s net worth. His stakes in Neuralink, The Boring Company, and xAI contribute smaller but growing portions.
- Past Earnings: Musk earned $22 million from Zip2’s sale, $175.8 million from PayPal, and has reinvested heavily into his ventures, avoiding traditional salaries.
Musk’s wealth is volatile, with Tesla’s stock price driving significant fluctuations. For instance, his net worth dropped $120 billion in March 2025 due to Tesla’s stock dip following his political activities. Despite this, his wealth far surpasses other billionaires like Jeff Bezos ($243.7 billion) and Mark Zuckerberg ($223.4 billion).
Real Estate and Other Investments
In addition to his business interests, Musk accumulated a $100 million California real estate portfolio prior to announcing in 2020 that he would “own no house” and be “selling almost all physical possessions.”
He increased his wealth even more by making a profit on each property he sold. Musk claimed to reside in a $50,000 Texas home he rented from Space X in 2021 after moving there to be nearer to the business’s main office.
📉 Company Snapshot & Stake
- Tesla: Market Cap ~$900 B; ~13% stake held
- SpaceX: Private valuation ~$350 B; Musk owns ~42%
- xAI + X merger: xAI valued ~$50 B, combined $80 B (all-stock deal).
- Neuralink & The Boring Co: Established players with niche valuations
- X: 79% stake; dynamic but financially struggling ($44 B buyout, $2.5 B revenue)
ELON MUSK Education Qualification
| School | Waterloof House Preparatory School and Bryanston High School |
| College | Pretoria Boys High School. |
| University | University of Pretoria
Queen’s University University of Pennsylvania(BS&BA) |
| Ph.d | Stanford University |
Height, Weight And Body Measurements
Let’s look at Elon Musk’s height, weight, body measurements, and other necessary details.
| Height | 6 feet 2inches |
| Weight | 85 Kg |
| Hair color | Light Ash Blonde |
| Eye Color | Moss Green |
| Chest | 36 |
| Waist | 34 |
| Hips | |
| Body Type | Athletic |
| Zodiac | Cancer |
Personal Life
Family and Relationships
Parents: Maye Musk, a renowned model and dietitian, and Errol Musk, an engineer with a controversial personal life. Musk is estranged from his father, a decision he later regretted.
Siblings: Kimbal Musk, a restaurateur and entrepreneur with a $720 million net worth, and Tosca Musk, a filmmaker.
Marriages and Children: Musk has been married twice and has 12 children:
- Justine Wilson (m. 2000–2008): Five children, including a son, Nevada, who died at 10 weeks due to SIDS.
- Talulah Riley (m. 2010–2012, 2013–2016): No children.
- Grimes (Claire Boucher): Three children, including X Æ A-Xii, whose name sparked public debate due to California naming laws. Grimes sued Musk over custody in 2023.
- Shivon Zilis: Twins born in 2021 via Neuralink executive.
- Musk also has other children, including triplets, but keeps details private.
Controversies
- Musk’s personal life has faced scrutiny, including a reported affair with Nicole Shanahan, wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin, in 2021, leading to their divorce.
- His political involvement, particularly his $277 million support for Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign and role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), sparked controversies, including a public feud with Trump over policy differences.
Elon Musk Favorite Things
Below is a table highlighting some of Elon Musk’s favorite things, based on his public statements, interviews, and documented preferences. These reflect his personality, influences, and interests, providing insight into the man behind the groundbreaking ventures.
| Category | Favorite |
|---|---|
| Book | The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams; Foundation series by Isaac Asimov |
| Movie | Iron Man (inspired by Musk himself); Star Wars franchise |
| TV Show | The Simpsons (Musk made a guest appearance in 2015); Rick and Morty |
| Food | French cuisine; South African braai (barbecue); reportedly enjoys Diet Coke |
| Hobby | Video gaming (e.g., Overwatch, The Witcher 3); reading science fiction |
| Music | Classical music; electronic music; artists like Kanye West and Daft Punk |
| Technology | Artificial Intelligence (AI); reusable rocket technology (SpaceX) |
| Car | Tesla Model S (his personal favorite among Tesla models) |
| Destination | Mars (aspiration for SpaceX colonization); Iceland (visited for inspiration) |
| Quote | “Don’t Panic” (from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) |
| Game | Blastar (his own creation at age 12); Kerbal Space Program |
| Role Model/Influence | Nikola Tesla; Steve Jobs; Tony Stark (fictional character) |
Notes:
- Sources: Information is derived from Musk’s interviews (e.g., Rolling Stone, The Joe Rogan Experience), X posts, and public appearances like his Saturday Night Live hosting in 2021.
- Context: Musk’s favorites often align with his futuristic vision and love for science fiction, reflecting his drive to innovate and explore. For example, his admiration for The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy inspired SpaceX’s naming conventions (e.g., Starship’s “Don’t Panic” reference).
- Verification: Some preferences, like food and music, are less documented and based on anecdotal reports or X posts from credible sources. For precise updates, check Musk’s X account or recent interviews.
Recent Developments and Influence
In 2024, Musk’s influence expanded into politics, with his appointment as co-lead of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under President Donald Trump. His $277 million contribution to Trump’s campaign and vocal support amplified his sway, though their relationship soured over policy disputes, leading to Musk’s exit from DOGE in May 2025.
Musk’s companies continue to push boundaries:
- Tesla: Projected 30% vehicle sales growth for 2025, despite challenges like tariffs and a voided $56 billion compensation package.
- SpaceX: Plans for a 2026 moon mission and ongoing Starlink expansion.
- Neuralink: Three patients have received brain-chip implants, advancing human-machine interfaces.
- X: Despite a valuation drop, Musk aims to transform X into a super app, though advertiser confidence remains shaky.
Facts-
- Elon attended Stanford university for only two days.
- Robert Downey Junior took inspiration from Musk For his movie iron man (2008).
- Elon musk has appeared in different TV shows.
- Musk was on the verge of selling Tesla to Google.
- Musk’s first commercial effort was the creation of Zip2, a company that provided maps and business directories to newspapers and was eventually acquired by Compaq for $307 million.
- Musk only lasted two days at Stanford before dropping out.
- Musk appeared in an episode of ‘The Simpsons’ called ‘The Big Bang Theory.’
Best Known For
- Being the founder, CEO, and lead designer of SpaceX; co-founder, CEO, and product architect of Tesla Inc.; co-founder of SolarCity and Zip2; founder of X.com: which merged with Confinity and took the name PayPal; co-chairman of OpenAI; founder and CEO of Neuralink, and founder of The Boring Company
- His resolve to change the world and humanity through sustainable energy production and consumption.
- Working on establishing a sustainable human colony and cheaper mode of travel to planet Mars. Once, he said, “I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact.”
- Envisioning a high-speed transportation system known as the Hyperloop
Conclusion
Elon Musk’s journey from a bullied child in South Africa to the world’s richest and most influential entrepreneur is a story of resilience, vision, and controversy. His net worth of $424.7 billion, driven by Tesla and SpaceX, reflects his ability to turn bold ideas into reality. From revolutionizing electric vehicles to pioneering reusable rockets, Musk’s career is a blueprint for innovation. Yet, his personal life and public persona—marked by high-profile relationships, political feuds, and unconventional choices—keep him in the spotlight.
As Musk continues to shape industries and push humanity toward a multi-planetary future, his legacy remains a polarizing topic. Love him or criticize him, Elon Musk is undeniably a force of nature, redefining what’s possible in technology and beyond. For the latest updates on his ventures, follow trusted sources like Forbes, Bloomberg, or X posts from verified accounts.