What’s up friends! Today I want to talk about one of the most interesting and impactful entrepreneurs of our time – Elon Musk. His diverse business ventures in electric vehicles, rockets, solar energy and more have made him one of the richest people in the world. But how did he get to where he is today? Let’s take a closer look at Elon Musk net worth and background.
Elon Musk’s Current Net Worth:
As of August 2023, Elon Musk net worth is estimated to be around $240.7 billion, making him the richest person in the world! This staggering number is partly due to his ownership stakes in companies like Tesla and SpaceX. The share price of Tesla in particular has skyrocketed over the past few years, boosting Musk’s net worth.Â
His net worth took a big jump in 2021 when Hertz announced they were buying 100,000 Tesla vehicles. This huge order from the rental car company sent Tesla stock surging, and subsequently Musk’s net worth. Tesla stock continued to climb in 2022 and 2023 as the company reported strong sales and profits.
So in summary, Elon Musk’s current net worth is about $240 billion as of mid-2023. Of course, his net worth fluctuates daily based on the stock market. But the meteoric rise of Tesla stock in recent years is the primary source of his massive fortune.
Elon Musk’s Early Life and Education:
Elon Musk was born on June 28, 1971 in Pretoria, South Africa. He had an unusual and troubled childhood. His parents divorced when he was 9 years old. He lived mostly with his father, who Musk later described as “a terrible human being.”Â
Musk taught himself computer programming at age 10. By age 12 he had created and sold his first software – a video game called Blastar.Â
After getting bullied at school, Musk attended the University of Pretoria for five months before moving to Canada at age 17. He attended Queen’s University in Ontario for two years, then transferred to the University of Pennsylvania.
At Penn, Musk earned bachelor’s degrees in physics and economics. He also pursued graduate studies in physics, but left the program after two days to become an entrepreneur.Â
Elon Musk’s Career:
After leaving graduate school, Elon Musk co-founded a web software company called Zip2 with his brother Kimbal in 1995. They bootstrapped the company with borrowed and angel investor money. Compaq acquired Zip2 in 1999 for $307 million, earning Musk $22 million for his 7% share.
Musk next co-founded an online banking company called X.com. It merged with its rival Confinity in 2000, which had a money transfer service called PayPal. Musk was named CEO of PayPal and took the company public in 2002, before selling it to eBay for $1.5 billion. Musk earned $165 million from PayPal’s sale.
After PayPal, Musk founded SpaceX in 2002 and Tesla Motors in 2003. He remains the CEO and Chief Engineer of SpaceX, as well as the CEO and product architect of Tesla.
SpaceX was the first private company to successfully launch and return a spacecraft from orbit. They provide commercial space launch services and NASA contracts. Their long-term goal is to make humanity multi-planetary by establishing a human colony on Mars.
Furthered Success:
Tesla’s goal is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. They are leading the way in making affordable, long-range electric vehicles. Tesla is also revolutionizing the solar industry with beautiful, inexpensive solar roofs. More on that later when we cover Tesla solar.
In addition to SpaceX and Tesla, Musk founded Neuralink, which is developing brain-computer interfaces, and The Boring Company, which is reinventing tunnel boring.
Elon Musk’s Awards and Recognition:
With his astounding career accomplishments, Elon Musk has won many awards and honors:
– 2010: Selected as one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People
– 2013: Received the Gold Space Medal from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
– 2016: Received the Tesla Motors Club Leadership Award for Extraordinary Leadership
– 2016: Ranked 21st on Forbes list of The World’s Most Powerful People
– 2018: The Royal Society (UK) awarded Musk the Faraday Medal, one of their highest honorsÂ
– 2021: Earned International Astronautical Federation Excellence in Industry Award
– 2021: TIME Magazine named him Person of the Year
Musk has also been honored with numerous business awards for his work at Tesla, SpaceX, SolarCity, and The Boring Company. Clearly the man is dedicated to pursuing big ideas that advance technology and humanity!
Elon Musk Personal Life:
In his personal life, Elon Musk has been married three times and has seven children.
In 2000, Musk married Justine Wilson. They had six sons together: twins Griffin and Xavier (b. 2004) and triplets Damian, Saxon and Kai (b. 2006). They divorced in 2008.
In 2010, Musk married actress Talulah Riley. They divorced in 2012, remarried in 2013, then divorced again in 2016.Â
Musk began dating musician Grimes in 2018. They had a son together named X Æ A-Xii Musk in 2020. Musk and Grimes split up in 2022.Â
Musk also had a daughter named Exa Dark Sideræl Musk with one of his top executives at Neuralink, Shivon Zilis, in 2022.
Elon Musk Ethnicity and Nationality:
He was born in South Africa to a Canadian mother and South African father. His mother Maye Musk is a model and nutritionist born in Canada. His father Errol Musk is a South African electromechanical engineer.
Elon Musk identifies most closely with his Canadian ancestry. He became a Canadian citizen through his mother in 1988. Then in 2002, Musk attained American citizenship, making him a dual Canadian-American citizen. He has lived primarily in the United States since attending college.
So in summary, Elon Musk’s nationality is Canadian and American, and his ethnicity is a mix of British, Pennsylvania Dutch, and Afrikaner (South African Dutch).
Overview of Tesla Solar:
Now let’s change focus and talk about one area of Elon Musk’s business empire – Tesla Solar.
Tesla acquired SolarCity in 2016 and incorporated solar energy generation and storage into its suite of renewable energy products. Tesla Solar aims to make solar energy a viable, affordable solution for environmentally conscious homeowners.
Here are some key facts about Tesla Solar:
– Offers several styles of solar panels including smooth glass and textured glass tiles to blend seamlessly with roof design.
– Solar roof installations come with weather seals, corrosion resistant materials and require no annual upkeep.
– Tesla estimates adding solar and Powerwall to a home can yield over $8,500 of annual energy savings.
Solar Tribe has given a full review and overview of the Tesla Solar Panels in 2023.
Conclusion:
Well, I hope you enjoyed this deep dive into Elon Musk net worth, background and his solar energy venture! He is certainly one of the most fascinating entrepreneurs and wealthiest people on Earth thanks to his bold visions.
Elon Musk is passionate about innovating technologies that can improve people’s lives and ensure humanity’s future. His enormous net worth gives him the capital to pursue these big dreams.
Let me know what you think about Elon Musk and Tesla Solar in the comments. I’d love to hear your thoughts!