50 Things You Didn’t Know About Elon Musk

Elon Musk is one of the most influential and controversial figures in the tech world today. Known for his ambitious projects and unfiltered personality, there’s much more to this entrepreneur than meets the eye. Here are 50 fascinating facts about Elon Musk.

Early Life and Education

1. Birthplace: Elon Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa, on June 28, 1971.

2. Early Reader: He taught himself to read by the age of three.

3. First Computer: He got his first computer, a Commodore VIC-20, at the age of 10.

4. First Program: At 12, Musk sold his first computer program, a video game called Blastar, for $500.

5. High School: He attended Pretoria Boys High School before moving to the United States.

Academic Background

6. University of Pretoria: Briefly attended the University of Pretoria before leaving for Canada.

7. Queen’s University: Studied at Queen’s University in Ontario for two years.

8. University of Pennsylvania: Transferred to the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned degrees in physics and economics.

9. Stanford University: Began a PhD in applied physics at Stanford University but dropped out after two days to pursue entrepreneurial ventures.

10. Fraternities: While at Penn, he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity.

Early Career

11. Zip2: Co-founded Zip2, a city guide software for newspapers, which was sold to Compaq for $307 million.

12. PayPal: Co-founded X.com, an online payment company that later became PayPal and was sold to eBay for $1.5 billion.

13. PayPal Mafia: He is part of the so-called “PayPal Mafia,” a group of former PayPal employees who have founded numerous successful tech companies.

14. First Million: Musk made his first million dollars at the age of 27.

15. Personal Investment: Invested much of his PayPal earnings into his subsequent ventures, including SpaceX and Tesla.

SpaceX

16. Foundation: Founded SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies Corp.) in 2002.

17. First Rocket: The Falcon 1 was SpaceX’s first rocket, and it reached orbit in 2008 after three failed attempts.

18. ISS Resupply: SpaceX became the first private company to send a spacecraft to the International Space Station in 2012.

19. Reusable Rockets: SpaceX developed the Falcon 9, a reusable rocket, to reduce the cost of space travel.

20. Mars Mission: Musk’s ultimate goal with SpaceX is to colonize Mars.

Tesla

21. Initial Investment: Musk joined Tesla Motors in 2004, investing $6.5 million and becoming the chairman.

22. First Car: The Tesla Roadster, the company’s first car, was launched in 2008.

23. Model S: The Tesla Model S was named Motor Trend’s 2013 Car of the Year.

24. Gigafactories: Tesla has multiple Gigafactories around the world to produce batteries and electric vehicles.

25. Autopilot: Tesla’s Autopilot system is a major step toward autonomous driving.

SolarCity and Renewable Energy

26. SolarCity: Co-founded SolarCity, a solar energy services company, which was acquired by Tesla in 2016.

27. Powerwall: Developed the Tesla Powerwall, a home battery product for energy storage.

28. Gigafactory 2: Located in Buffalo, New York, it focuses on solar products like solar panels and solar roofs.

29. Sustainable Energy: Musk’s vision includes transitioning the world to sustainable energy through electric vehicles and solar power.

30. Energy Independence: He aims for households to achieve energy independence with solar panels and Powerwalls.

The Boring Company

31. Foundation: Founded The Boring Company in 2016 to reduce traffic congestion through tunnel construction.

32. Tunnel Project: The first test tunnel was built in Los Angeles, showing the potential for high-speed underground travel.

33. Hyperloop: Although separate from The Boring Company, Musk proposed the Hyperloop, a high-speed transportation system in vacuum tubes.

34. Flamethrowers: Sold 20,000 flamethrowers branded “Not a Flamethrower” as a promotional product for The Boring Company.

35. Vegas Loop: The company completed a loop tunnel system under the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Neuralink

36. Neuralink: Co-founded Neuralink in 2016, aiming to develop brain-machine interfaces.

37. Brain Implants: Neuralink’s goal is to create brain implants that could help treat neurological conditions and eventually merge human brains with AI.

38. First Demonstration: Demonstrated a pig named Gertrude with a Neuralink implant in 2020, showing the device’s potential.

39. Human Trials: Plans for human trials of Neuralink technology are ongoing, aiming to help paralyzed individuals control devices with their minds.

40. AI Concerns: Musk has voiced concerns about AI, suggesting that Neuralink could help humans stay relevant in an AI-dominated future.

Personal Life

41. Marriages: Musk has been married twice to Talulah Riley and once to Justine Musk.

42. Children: He has ten children, including one named X Æ A-12.

43. Canadian Citizenship: Musk holds Canadian citizenship through his mother, Maye Musk.

44. U.S. Citizenship: Became a U.S. citizen in 2002.

45. Diet: Musk has said he prefers a low-carb diet and typically skips breakfast.

Interests and Hobbies

46. Books: An avid reader, some of his favorite books include “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.”

47. Sci-Fi Influence: Science fiction has significantly influenced his career and aspirations.

48. Video Games: Enjoys playing video games and once considered becoming a video game designer.

49. Iron Man: The character Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is partially inspired by Musk.

50. Philanthropy: Musk has signed the Giving Pledge, committing to donate the majority of his wealth to philanthropic causes.

These facts reveal the many dimensions of Elon Musk, showcasing his diverse interests, groundbreaking achievements, and ambitious vision for the future.