Elon Musk
Elon Musk
Elon Reeve Musk (born June 28, 1971) is a South African-born American entrepreneur and businessman who founded X.com in 1999 (which later became PayPal), SpaceX in 2002 and Tesla Motors in 2003. Musk became a multimillionaire in his late 20s when he sold Zip2 to a division of Compaq Computers.
Musk made headlines in May 2012, when SpaceX launched a rocket that would send the first commercial vehicle to the International Space Station. In September 2016, he unveiled plans to send humans to Mars by 2026.
Musk has been criticized for his business practices and his public statements. In 2018, he was sued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for falsely tweeting that he had secured funding to take Tesla private. He settled with the SEC, agreeing to step down as Tesla's chairman for three years and pay a $20 million fine.
Despite the controversy, Musk remains a popular figure. He is seen by many as a visionary entrepreneur who is pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
Early Life and Education:
Elon Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa, to a South African father and a Canadian mother. He showed an early aptitude for computers and physics. At the age of 12, he sold his first software program, a BASIC-based game called Blastar, for $500.
Musk attended the University of Pretoria for five months before moving to Canada to attend Queen's University. He later transferred to the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a bachelor's degree in physics and a bachelor's degree in economics.
Career:
After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, Musk moved to California to pursue a PhD in applied physics at Stanford University. However, he dropped out after two days to start his own company, Zip2.
Zip2 was a web software company that provided maps and business directories to online newspapers. In 1999, Musk sold Zip2 to a division of Compaq Computers for $307 million.
Musk then founded X.com, an online bank. In 2001, X.com merged with Confinity, a company that had developed a money transfer service called PayPal. Musk became the CEO of the merged company, which was renamed PayPal.
In 2002, Musk founded SpaceX, a company that designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. SpaceX's goal is to reduce the cost of space travel and make it possible for humans to live on other planets.
In 2003, Musk invested in Tesla Motors, an electric car company. He became the company's CEO in 2008. Under Musk's leadership, Tesla has become one of the most valuable car companies in the world.
Personal Life:
Elon Musk has been married three times. He has six children with his first wife, Justine Wilson. He also has two children with Grimes, a Canadian musician.
Musk is known for his eccentric personality and his outspoken views. He is also a vocal advocate for renewable energy and space exploration.
Legacy:
Elon Musk is one of the most successful and influential entrepreneurs of his generation. He has founded several successful companies, including SpaceX, Tesla Motors, and PayPal. Musk is also a vocal advocate for renewable energy and space exploration. He is seen by many as a visionary entrepreneur who is pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
