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According to Forbes, Elon Musk holds the title of the richest man in the world, with a real-time net worth of $359 billion!
Musk is a relentless innovator and entrepreneur and the mind behind some of the most transformative tech companies of the 21st century, including Tesla, SpaceX, and more recently, xAI. He has his hands in everything from electric vehicles and rockets to artificial intelligence and brain-computer interfaces.
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Musk’s empire can be described as vast, volatile, and ambitious. But what was growing up like for him?
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Childhood
According to Times of India, Elon Musk's parents initially thought he was deaf! He would be so engrossed in his books and wouldn't hear or answer his parents when they call him. So they thought to themselves, surely he must have hearing issues. But he didn't, what he had was an intense fascination with books and technology from a young age.
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By the age of 10, Musk had taught himself computer programming, leading to the creation of a video game called Blastar at 12, which he sold for approximately $500. That game is still available to play online even till today.
Elon was born in Pretoria, South Africa on June 28, 1971. He pursued his higher education at the University of Pennsylvania, earning degrees in both physics and economics. His academic journey then took him to Stanford University for a Ph.D. in applied physics. However, the entrepreneurial pull was too strong; Musk left Stanford after just a few weeks to dive into the tech startup world.
How Elon Musk Became The Richest Man In The World
In 1996, Musk co-founded Zip2, a company that provided online city guides for newspapers. The venture gained significant traction, and in 1999, Compaq acquired Zip2 for $307 million. Musk's share was $22 million, marking his first major financial success.
He then invested this money into X.com, which later became PayPal, an online payment system. Following eBay's purchase of PayPal in 2002, Musk earned a substantial sum, estimated at around $165 million, marking his first billion.
Tesla and SpaceX
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In 2002, Elon Musk founded SpaceX, a company focused on space exploration and rocket technology. In 2003, Tesla Motors was founded by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. In 2004, Elon Musk became a major investor in Tesla, contributing more than $30 million and later becoming the company's chairman. In 2008, Musk became the company's CEO and product architect, a position he still holds till date.
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A significant portion of Musk's wealth comes from his shares and options in Tesla, which have increased substantially over time. Musk's compensation at Tesla is tied to the company's valuation and revenue, with the board agreeing to a deal in 2018 that stipulated that Musk only received compensation if Tesla reached certain market values.
Musk has also co-founded other companies, including Neuralink, a neurotechnology company, and xAI, an artificial intelligence startup. Elon Musk is currently the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly Twitter). Below is a more detailed breakdown of all the caps he wears:
SpaceX: Elon Musk is the founder, CEO, and chief engineer of SpaceX, a company focused on space exploration and technology.
Tesla: He is the CEO and product architect of Tesla, Inc., an electric vehicle and clean energy company.
X (formerly Twitter): Elon Musk is the owner, CTO, and executive chairman of X (formerly Twitter), a social media platform.
Other Companies: While he is not the CEO of these, he is also the founder of The Boring Company, X Corp., and xAI, and a co-founder of Neuralink, OpenAI, Zip2, and X.com (part of PayPal).
The Man Behind the Billions
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At 53 years old, Elon Musk is divorced and a father of 13 children that he has acknowledged. He had six children with his ex-wife Justine Wilson. Musk later welcomed three children with musician Grimes, whose legal name is Claire Elise Boucher. He now has four kids with tech executive Shivon Zilis.
Zilis announced the birth of their son Seldon Lycurgus on Feb. 28. Musk has said he believes in the “pronatalist” movement that advocates for having lots of kids.
His views on faith are equally unorthodox. He was raised in the Anglican Church, but now identifies as a “cultural Christian,” offering his own interpretation of Jesus' teachings while criticizing modern Christianity for lacking "bravery." He lives in Austin, Texas.
Politics
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In 2025, he ventured into politics and he is a senior advisor to United States President Donald Trump and the de facto head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) where he has spearheaded thousands of layoffs in the federal workforce.
Unconventional Ventures
Musk's innovative spirit has led to several unconventional projects. In a bold move, Musk sent his personal cherry-red Tesla Roadster into space aboard the Falcon Heavy rocket, complete with a mannequin named Starman and David Bowie's "Life on Mars" playing on loop. He also launched a fragrance dubbed "Burnt Hair" in October 2022, marketing it as the "finest fragrance on Earth" at $100 a bottle.
Elon Musk topped the Forbes Billionaires list in 2025 and continues to hold the #1 spot on the Forbes 400 list from 2024. He is a self-made mogul with a self-made score of 8 simply because he turned audacious ideas into tangible realities.
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