Elon Musk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elon Musk
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Musk in 2022
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| Senior Advisor to the President | |
| In office January 20, 2025 – May 30, 2025 Serving with Massad Boulos
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Tom Perez |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Elon Reeve Musk
June 28, 1971 Pretoria, South Africa |
| Citizenship |
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| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations |
America Party (2025–present) |
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| Children | At least 14 |
| Parents |
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| Relatives | Musk family |
| Education | University of Pennsylvania (BA, BS) |
| Occupation | |
| Awards | Full list |
| Signature |  |
Elon Reeve Musk (born June 28, 1971) is a well-known businessman. He is famous for leading companies like Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly Twitter). Since 2021, he has been considered one of the wealthiest people in the world. As of May 2025, his wealth was estimated at $424.7 billion.
Musk was born into a wealthy family in Pretoria, South Africa. He moved to Canada in 1989. In 1997, he earned two bachelor's degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. He then moved to California to start his own businesses. In 1995, he co-founded a software company called Zip2. After selling Zip2, he co-founded X.com in 1999. This online payment company later became part of PayPal, which was bought by eBay in 2002. Musk also became an American citizen in 2002.
In 2002, Musk started space technology company SpaceX. He became its CEO and chief engineer. SpaceX has made big steps in reusable rockets and commercial spaceflight. In 2004, Musk became an early investor in the automaker Tesla. He became its CEO and product architect in 2008. Tesla is now a leader in electric vehicles. In 2015, he helped start OpenAI to research artificial intelligence (AI). He later left OpenAI and started xAI in 2023. In 2022, he bought the social network Twitter and changed its name to X in 2023. His other companies include Neuralink, which works with brain technology, and the Boring Company, which builds tunnels.
Musk was a major donor in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. He supports some global political figures and groups. In early 2025, he worked as a senior advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump. He also led the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). After a public disagreement with Trump, Musk left the government. He then announced he was starting his own political party, the America Party.
Musk's public actions and statements have made him a polarizing figure. He has faced criticism for some of his statements and for how he managed Twitter after buying it. His role in the government also caused public discussion.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Elon Reeve Musk was born on June 28, 1971, in Pretoria, South Africa. His mother, Maye Musk, is a model and dietitian. His father, Errol Musk, is an engineer and property developer. Elon has a younger brother, Kimbal Musk, and a younger sister, Tosca Musk. His family was wealthy when he was growing up.
After his parents divorced in 1979, Elon chose to live with his father. He later regretted this choice. Elon loved reading books. He said books like The Lord of the Rings and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy helped him succeed. At age ten, he became interested in computers and video games. He taught himself to program. When he was twelve, he sold his first game, Blastar, for about $500.
School Days
Musk went to Waterkloof House Preparatory School and Pretoria Boys High School. He was a good student. To avoid mandatory military service in South Africa, he applied for a Canadian passport through his mother. He also wanted to make it easier to move to the United States. While waiting, he studied at the University of Pretoria for five months.
Musk arrived in Canada in June 1989. He worked odd jobs, like on a farm. In 1990, he started at Queen's University. Two years later, he moved to the University of Pennsylvania. He earned two bachelor's degrees there in 1997: one in physics and one in economics. He reportedly hosted parties to help pay for his tuition.
In 1994, Musk had internships in Silicon Valley. He was accepted to a graduate program at Stanford University in 1995 but decided not to go. He wanted to join the growing Internet industry.
Starting Businesses
Zip2 Company
In 1995, Elon and his brother Kimbal Musk, along with Greg Kouri, started a web software company called Zip2. They borrowed money from their father. The company created an online city guide for newspapers. It included maps, directions, and business listings.
Musk worked very hard, coding the website day and night. They got contracts with big newspapers like The New York Times. In 1999, Compaq bought Zip2 for $307 million. Musk received $22 million for his share.
X.com and PayPal
In 1999, Musk co-founded X.com, an online financial services company. It was one of the first online banks. In its first few months, over 200,000 customers joined. X.com later merged with another online bank, Confinity, which had a popular money-transfer service called PayPal.
Musk became CEO of the merged company. The company was renamed PayPal in 2001. In 2002, eBay bought PayPal for $1.5 billion. Musk was the largest shareholder and received $175.8 million. In 2017, Musk bought the X.com domain name back from PayPal because it was important to him.
SpaceX Company
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In 2001, Musk became interested in sending a plant growth chamber to Mars. He tried to buy rockets from Russian companies but couldn't. So, he decided to start his own company to build affordable rockets. In May 2002, Musk founded SpaceX with $100 million of his own money. He became its CEO and Chief Engineer.
SpaceX launched its first Falcon 1 rocket in 2006. It didn't reach orbit, but NASA gave SpaceX a contract. After two more failed attempts, SpaceX successfully launched the Falcon 1 into orbit in 2008. Later that year, NASA gave SpaceX a $1.6 billion contract. This was for Falcon 9 rockets to send Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS). In 2012, a Dragon vehicle docked with the ISS, a first for a private company.
SpaceX has worked on making rockets reusable. In 2015, a Falcon 9 rocket successfully landed its first stage on a platform. Later, landings were done on ships in the ocean. In 2018, SpaceX launched the Falcon Heavy rocket. It carried Musk's personal Tesla Roadster as a test payload. Since 2019, SpaceX has been building Starship, a large reusable rocket. In 2020, SpaceX launched its first crewed flight, sending astronauts to orbit and the ISS. In 2024, NASA gave SpaceX a contract to safely bring the ISS out of orbit when its lifespan ends.
Starlink Satellites
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In 2015, SpaceX started developing Starlink. This is a group of low Earth orbit satellites that provide satellite Internet access. The first large group of satellites was launched in May 2019. As of May 2025, over 7,600 Starlink satellites are working. This makes up 65% of all working Earth satellites. The project's total cost was estimated at $10 billion in 2020.
During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Musk provided free Starlink service to Ukraine. This helped with Internet access and communication.
Tesla Company
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Tesla, Inc. was started in July 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. Musk invested $6.35 million in February 2004. He became the main shareholder and chairman of the board. Musk became CEO and product architect in 2008.
Tesla started delivering the Roadster, an electric sports car, in 2008. It was the first mass-produced electric car to use lithium-ion battery cells. Under Musk, Tesla has launched several popular electric vehicles. These include the Model S (2012), Model X (2015), Model 3 (2017), Model Y (2020), and the Cybertruck (2023).
Tesla has also built many large factories called Gigafactories for batteries and electric vehicles. Since its stock became public in 2010, Tesla's value has grown a lot. It became the most valuable carmaker in mid-2020. In October 2021, its market value reached $1 trillion.
SolarCity and Tesla Energy
Musk came up with the idea and provided money for SolarCity. His cousins, Lyndon and Peter Rive, founded it in 2006. By 2013, SolarCity was a top provider of solar power systems in the U.S. In 2014, Musk suggested SolarCity build a large production facility in Buffalo, New York. This factory was completed in 2017.
Tesla bought SolarCity for $2 billion in 2016. It merged SolarCity with its battery unit to create Tesla Energy.
Neuralink Company
In 2016, Musk co-founded Neuralink, a company focused on brain technology. He invested $100 million. Neuralink aims to connect the human brain with artificial intelligence (AI). This could improve memory or help devices communicate with software. The company also hopes to treat brain conditions. In September 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Neuralink to start human trials.
Neuralink has done animal testing on monkeys. In 2021, the company showed a video of a monkey playing a video game using a Neuralink implant.
The Boring Company
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In 2017, Musk started the Boring Company to build tunnels. He planned for special underground vehicles that could travel very fast. This would help avoid traffic in big cities. The company started building a test tunnel at SpaceX's offices.
The Los Angeles tunnel, less than 2 miles long, opened to journalists in 2018. It used Tesla Model Xs. A tunnel under the Las Vegas Convention Center was finished in early 2021. Local officials have approved more expansions of this tunnel system.
X Corp. (formerly Twitter)
In early 2017, Musk showed interest in buying Twitter. He had questions about the platform's commitment to freedom of speech. By 2022, Musk owned 9.2% of the company, making him the largest shareholder. After some discussions, Musk made an offer to buy Twitter for about $44 billion. He bought the company on October 27, 2022.
After buying Twitter, Musk fired several top executives. He became the CEO. Under Elon Musk, Twitter started monthly subscriptions for a "blue checkmark". The company also laid off many staff members. Musk changed how content was moderated. In 2023, Twitter was rebranded as X. Musk stepped down as CEO and became executive chairman and chief technology officer (CTO).
X still faces challenges with the spread of misinformation and controversial content.
Other Projects
Hyperloop Transport
In August 2013, Musk announced plans for a new type of transport system called the Hyperloop. He assigned engineers from SpaceX and Tesla to design it. The idea was to create a system between Greater Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. It was meant to be cheaper than other ways to travel long distances.
OpenAI and xAI
In December 2015, Musk co-founded OpenAI. This is a non-profit artificial intelligence (AI) research company. Its goal is to develop AI that is safe and helpful for humanity. Musk pledged $1 billion in funding. He left the OpenAI board in 2018.
In July 2023, Musk launched another AI company called xAI. This company aims to create a generative AI program that can compete with existing ones like OpenAI's ChatGPT.
Private Jet Use
Musk uses a private jet owned by a SpaceX-linked company. He acquired a second jet in August 2020. His frequent use of these jets has been discussed due to their fossil fuel usage. Musk's flight usage is tracked on social media. In December 2022, Musk banned the account that tracked his jet on Twitter. He also temporarily banned some journalists' accounts that reported on the incident.
Political Activities
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Musk is unique among business leaders because he often speaks out about politics. He was a registered independent voter in California. Historically, he has donated to both Democrats and Republicans. Since 2022, most of his political donations have supported Republicans. His views have been described as generally right-wing since 2024.
Musk supported Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, Hillary Clinton in 2016, Joe Biden in 2020, and Donald Trump in 2024. In 2020, he supported Andrew Yang for president. In 2021, Musk publicly opposed the "Build Back Better Act." In 2022, he said he would start supporting Republican candidates. He gave over $50 million to a conservative political group. In 2023, he supported Republican Ron DeSantis for the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
By early 2024, Musk became a strong supporter of Donald Trump. In July 2024, he endorsed Trump for president. During the campaign, Musk joined Trump at a rally. He also promoted some claims about Democrats and elections in support of Trump. Musk was the largest individual donor in the 2024 election.
Musk's international political actions have also drawn attention. He has been criticized by leaders in Europe. An NBC News analysis found he has supported some political movements in many countries since 2023.
Department of Government Efficiency
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The idea for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) came from a discussion between Musk and Donald Trump. In August 2024, Trump offered Musk an advisory role, which Musk accepted. In late 2024, Musk suggested that DOGE could help cut the U.S. federal budget and reduce the number of government agencies.
In January 2025, DOGE was created by an executive order. Musk was named a "special government employee" and a senior advisor. He led the organization. A federal judge has stated that Musk acts as the leader of DOGE.
Musk's role in the government, especially with DOGE, has caused public discussion. He was criticized for his influence over some government employee layoffs. He has also emphasized secrecy within the organization. In May 2025, Musk announced he would leave the Trump Administration as planned. His departure was confirmed on May 30, 2025.
Disagreement with Donald Trump
After leaving his government role, Musk criticized the Trump administration's "Big Beautiful Bill." A public disagreement began between Musk and Trump. Musk made some public statements about Trump on X. Trump responded on Truth Social, criticizing Musk and threatening to cut his government contracts. Musk later apologized for his tweets against Trump.
Personal Life
Musk became a U.S. citizen in 2002. He lived in California until late 2020, then moved to Cameron County, Texas.
While hosting Saturday Night Live in 2021, Musk shared that he has Asperger syndrome (now part of autism spectrum disorder). He explained that social cues were not always clear to him growing up. Musk also has back pain and has had several surgeries. In 2000, he had a severe case of malaria.
Musk has released music. In March 2019, he released a rap track called "RIP Harambe". The next year, he released an EDM track called "Don't Doubt Ur Vibe".
Musk enjoys playing video games like Quake, Diablo IV, Elden Ring, and Polytopia. He once claimed to be a top video game player but later admitted to "account boosting" to achieve high rankings. In 2024 and 2025, Musk criticized the video game Assassin's Creed Shadows and its creator, Ubisoft, for content he called "woke."
Family Life
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Musk has at least 14 children. One child died as an infant. He had six children with his first wife, Canadian author Justine Wilson. They married in 2000 and divorced in 2008. Their elder twin child changed her name to Vivian Jenna Wilson in 2022.
Musk married English actress Talulah Riley in 2010. They divorced in 2012, remarried in 2013, and divorced again in 2016. He also dated American actress Amber Heard for several months in 2017.
In 2018, Musk and Canadian musician Grimes confirmed they were dating. They have three children, born in 2020, 2021, and 2022. Their eldest child's name is "X" as a first name, "Æ A-Xii" as a middle name. Musk has said the intended pronunciation is "X Ash A Twelve." In October 2023, Grimes filed a lawsuit against Musk regarding parental rights and custody. Elon Musk has taken X Æ A-Xii to several official events.
Musk also has four children with Shivon Zilis, who works at Neuralink. These include twins born in 2021, a child born in 2024, and another in 2025. In February 2025, Ashley St. Clair, an influencer, claimed to have given birth to Musk's son five months earlier. She later filed for sole custody and for Musk to be recognized as the father. Musk stated he had paid St. Clair money, though he was unsure if he was the father.
Wealth and Giving
Musk Foundation
Musk is the president of the Musk Foundation, which he started in 2001. Its goal is to provide solar power in disaster areas. It also supports human space exploration, children's health, renewable energy, and "safe artificial intelligence." From 2002 to 2018, the foundation donated nearly half of its money to Musk's OpenAI.
By the end of 2021, the foundation had $9.4 billion in assets. However, it only gave $160 million to charities that year. The Musk Foundation has been criticized for donating to causes close to Musk's family and companies. In 2021, after a challenge from the World Food Programme director, Musk donated money to his own foundation instead of directly to the program.
Interesting Facts About Elon Musk
- When he was 12, he sold his video game Blastar for $500.
- He joined Tesla a year after it was founded by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning.
- He almost sold Tesla to Google for $6 billion in 2013.
- He was able to start SpaceX with the $100 million he earned when eBay bought PayPal.
- His wealth comes from his ownership in companies, not from a salary.
- He bought James Bond’s classic submarine car at an auction for almost $1 million in 2013.
- Elon's mother, Maye Musk, is a model.
Elon Musk Quotes
- "I think it is possible for ordinary people to choose to be extraordinary."
- "If you go back a few hundred years, what we take for granted today would seem like magic."
- "Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough."
See also
In Spanish: Elon Musk para niños
