Always since the cosmos of Zip2 Corporation in the 1990s, Elon Musk has fabricated a name for himself as a leader in the tech world. These days, he serves equally CEO of Tesla and is involved in countless other successful projects, including space exploration and artificial intelligence research. He is every bit unique personally equally the life he leads.
Want to know fifty-fifty more nigh the eccentric billionaire? Let’s accept a peek into the most intriguing insider secrets about billionaire Elon Musk.
South African Born
Elon Musk was born in South Africa in 1971 to Maye and Errol Musk. His mother was a Canadian model — the oldest to appear on CoverGirl, in fact — and his begetter was an engineer. Musk has a sis named Tosca and a brother named Kimbal.
Although the family didn’t go through dire times economically, mother Maye did piece of work five jobs for a time to pay the bills. Perhaps this is where Musk got his work ethic? Unfortunately, when Elon Musk was just 10 years former, his parents’ human relationship ended in divorce.
As a child, Musk was notorious for daydreaming. He would disappear then securely into his thoughts that he wouldn’t notice his friends talking to him. This worried his parents, so they decided to accept doctors run tests to make sure he wasn’t losing his hearing.
Every bit it turned out, the but thing incorrect with Musk was an overactive imagination. His female parent claims to this day that he still gets that far-away await in his eye, although at present she knows to leave him alone while he mentally plans his next slap-up venture. With a track record like Musk’s, he tin can afford to get lost in his thoughts!
His Model Mother
Elon Musk’s mother is quite a unique woman. During her modeling career, she appeared on the covers of Elle Canada, Time and New York Magazine and was fifty-fifty a finalist in the Miss South Africa pageant in 1969. In addition, Maye Musk runs her own diet business and has authored a volume.
On Maye’s website, she wrote, “my favorite hashtag is #ItsGreatToBe71, considering Information technology IS!” She certainly lives up to this quote, recently appearing in a Beyonce music video and signing a new contract with IMG models. This inspiring woman no doubt influenced the person her son would one day go.
A Not-then-Great Relationship with His Begetter
It’s no secret that Elon Musk doesn’t retrieve highly of his begetter. He has called him both “evil” and “a terrible homo beingness” on split up occasions, and he reportedly hasn’t spoken to him in a long time. Why the rift?
According to Business Insider, Errol Musk had a babe with his former stepdaughter, Jana, in 2017. When Errol married Jana’south mother, Jana was just iv years former. Twenty-vi years later, they had a child together. This shocking evolution didn’t get over well in the family and likely contributed to Elon’s hostility toward his father.
A Way to Cope (and a Way to Defend)
Shortly later his parents’ divorce, Musk institute an outlet in computers. He learned how to program all on his ain when he was still a pre-teen. At age 12, he made his first software sale, Blastar, a video game he created himself. His peers weren’t impressed, however, and the nerdy Musk was a victim of bullying in his early teen years.
To stand up for himself, Musk decided to larn karate and wrestling. This gave him more interests than books and technology, and information technology increased his physical forcefulness. His training paid off in some ways, but it didn’t stop the bullying.
Violence in South Africa
Musk has spoken about his experiences growing up in South Africa, and it wasn’t all good. He describes the schoolhouse he attended, Bryanston High, equally being rife with bullying and violence. Information technology all came to a head 1 day when bullies kicked him down a staircase and so continued to crush him.
The assault was and so bad that Musk had to undergo reconstructive surgery. He switched schools after but still jumped at the risk to movement to the United States when he was 17. It makes y'all wonder where those bullies are today (jail or dead, peradventure?).
He Tried to Open an Arcade at 16
Elon Musk had appetite from a young age. When he was 16, he and his brother and some cousins wanted to showtime a video arcade close to their school. Information technology wasn’t a fleeting idea diddled out of proportion by kids. They signed a lease and started completing paperwork for the metropolis.
Things fell apart when they tried to get the required real estate allow. Unfortunately, it’s incommunicable to get one at historic period xvi without parental consent. Elon’s dad apparently really hated the idea and wouldn’t agree to it. (Maybe some other reason he has hard feelings toward his dad?) Kids or not, opening an arcade nearly a high school probably would accept been a profitable business.
Apprehensive Beginnings
Musk wasn’t ever wildly rich and successful. When he came to the United States to nourish college, he didn’t accept a lot of coin to live on. This didn’t become him down too much. He simply made the clever decision to buy his nutrient in bulk. Doing the math, he determined he could eat for a dollar a day using this method.
Of course, living on bulk hot dogs, bread and pasta is no walk in the park, but Musk rarely complained. He was too happy to be away from the ambitious environment of the South African secondary schools.
An Underground Nightclub?
1 of the means Musk fabricated up for his measly finances during higher was past setting up a “nightclub” at his house. Instead of living on campus, he and a buddy rented a large quondam fraternity house further from the school and so they could pay less for rent.
Per CNBC, they crammed up to 500 people inside at once and offered music, drinks and fun for but $5 per person. With their earnings, they managed to pay their rent and bills. On some nights, Musk played video games in his room instead of joining the party.
He Skipped Out on a Ph.D.
Musk planned to continue his pedagogy after graduating from the Academy of Pennsylvania. He was all set to attend Stanford, planning to earn a Ph.D. in energy physics, but he dropped out later only two days in the program. Why? He wanted to have the plunge into the dotcom boom.
Musk teamed upwards with his blood brother Kimbal and created Zip2 Corporation in 1995. This virtual city guide software boomed in popularity, and the pair sold it for $307 million four years later. Obviously, dropping out of schoolhouse worked well for young Elon Musk. Who knows where he would exist if he hadn’t?
SpaceX
Elon Musk is famous for his fascination with infinite. Because of information technology, he founded SpaceX in 2002, a company that develops rocket technology. His dream is to amend space travel to the point where humans can live off the World’south surface (maybe even on Mars).
Musk loves space and then much that he used his ain money to get SpaceX off the ground. Many advised against this approach, but he somehow fabricated information technology work. At present, SpaceX has a deal with NASA to have people to the International Space Station once the technology can replace the space shuttle.
The Inspiration for Tony Stark?
Not everyone knows that Robert Downey Jr.’southward estimation of Tony Stark (a.thousand.a Iron Man) is based on Musk. Given that Stark is a billionaire and a genius, the managing director had to recall of a way to make the graphic symbol conceivable. What better way than to base him on a real-life billionaire genius?
Downey Jr. actually met with Musk to go to know him and his personality quirks. In the motion picture, Musk’s SpaceX company is a setting for some of the scenes. Musk himself gets a short cameo in
Iron Man 2. You can catch it if y'all’re paying attention.
A Not-so-Smooth Love Life
Musk is famous for having a bit of a rocky track record with the ladies. He met his first wife, science-fiction author Justine Musk, during college. They went on to have five kids together earlier things disintegrated. Post-divorce, Justine described Elon equally being a “domineering” husband, treating her more similar an employee than a life partner.
His next wife, actress Talulah Riley, actually married and divorced him — twice. They merely couldn’t seem to make things work. Today, Musk is dating Canadian musician Grimes (pictured). He admits he can’t stand being alone — when single, he seeks a partner quickly.
Musk Gives “Homeschooled” a New Pregnant
Every bit Musk’south kids grew up, he decided he didn’t like the education they were receiving. As a solution to this trouble, he created his own school named Ad Astra (Latin for “to the stars”) and enrolled a total of 15 children, including his ain. With only iii teachers, this school didn’t focus solely on grades.
Musk wanted his children’s education to be flexible to see the needs and abilities of the students instead of trying to mold students to fit a predetermined ready of skills. This customized educational activity took place at one of Musk’s homes and provided quite an experience for the kids.
The Musk Foundation
Elon Musk loves space and then much that he created the Musk Foundation to further infinite exploration. But await, doesn’t he already have SpaceX? Plain, 1 organization isn’t enough for him. At the Musk Foundation, you lot can check out a simulated Mars environment to exam what it would be like living on the red planet.
Also, the foundation isn’t only near space. The staff also works to detect new sources of sustainable energy and provides grants to inquiry projects Musk supports. The whole affair is shrouded in a bit of mystery, truthfully. But await at the website. Less is definitely more than on the site.
Musk Is a “Thrillionaire”
The term “thrillionaire” has come about in contempo years to refer to people with lots of wealth who accept the desire to use it for thrilling purposes. Sometimes this manifests as epic adventures or life-threatening stunts, but in Elon Musk’s instance, it refers to his dedication to science-fiction-like pursuits.
Musk hopes to brand the habitation of Mars a reality. He also heavily invests in artificial intelligence research. Some other “thrillionaire” in this rare category is Jeff Bezos, who shares Musk’south dream of infinite travel. These guys are always looking toward the future, and it might be role of why they’re and so successful.
A Cameo on The Simpsons
Throughout the years, Elon Musk has made a smattering of cameos in television series. According to IMDb, he has appeared on shows like
The
Big Bang Theory
and
South Park,
and he was also featured in a
Simpsons
episode entitled “The Musk That Fell to Earth”.
In the episode, Elon Musk drives a dragon spacecraft to Springfield and meets the show’s protagonist, Homer Simpson. Ironically, Musk gets some genius ideas from Homer! With appearances from big names like Oprah Winfrey, Lady Gaga, Tina Fey and more, it’s safe to say that when
The Simpsons
writes you into the bear witness, you’re officially famous.
He Signed “The Giving Pledge”
Elon Musk is very song about fighting global warming, supporting sustainable energy and protecting the Earth in general. He as well puts his money where his mouth is and has signed The Giving Pledge, forth with other billionaires like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg.
The Giving Pledge is meant to guide the world’due south wealthiest people toward philanthropy. Signing this pledge means yous commit to donating the majority of your earnings to bettering the world in social, environmental or other ways. Currently, 204 of the world’s wealthiest people have signed.
Open AI
Although Musk is a strong supporter of artificial intelligence research, it’s not necessarily considering he’southward excited nearly it. He has actually expressed fear and dubiety surrounding the development of artificial intelligence. Every bit Voice explains, Musk believes AI can surpass human intelligence to unsafe levels.
That is why Musk serves every bit co-chair of Open AI, a non-profit group working to “ensure that bogus general intelligence benefits all.” In the excitement to motility into the future — an excitement that Elon Musk shares — the globe could be playing fast and loose with AI without the appropriate precautions. At least, that is how Elon Musk sees information technology. (Terminator, think?)
Wet Nellie
Sure, we all dear James Bond, only would you spend $997,000 for a prop from 1 of the movies? Well, Elon Musk did exactly that. Of course, the word “prop” might not be appropriate to describe this custom-made submarine car nicknamed Wet Nellie, just information technology’southward still a non-performance vehicle.
Nonetheless, Musk had to take information technology. His love for the submarine car dates back to his babyhood, when he watched James Bond drive off a pier in information technology. Now, Musk’south company Tesla has designs for an underwater cruiser, although information technology’s unlikely they will ever follow through with it. Hypothetically, however, it is possible to make it.
A Negative Work Environment?
Elon Musk’s reputation for how he conducts business isn’t all good. Specifically, female person workers at Tesla have come forward claiming diff pay and sexual harassment. At that place has also been one known example filed of racial harassment against an electrician, only that case was settled out of courtroom.
Equally the cherry on top, one worker took legal activeness when nothing was washed about a supervisor’s derogatory comments regarding his sexuality. Information technology looks like cypher is perfect, even for Elon Musk. These kinds of complaints and lawsuits not only reflect poorly on the businesses, but they likewise reflect poorly on the man behind them.
Anti-Union
Elon Musk has a less-than-favorable view of unions. A guess even ruled that Musk’s visitor was acting illegally past preventing unions from forming through intimidation and restrictions on wedlock paraphernalia. Musk even allowed one employee to be fired for promoting union efforts.
Although this behavior tin can no longer continue, he didn’t take to do much to make up for the bad beliefs. No fines were issued, and every bit long as the company ceases the negative activity, there aren’t any consequences. This theoretically makes it easier for workers to unionize. Musk doesn’t legally take the power to stop it.
Anti-Press
Okay, information technology’due south not that Elon Musk is anti-press exactly, but he doesn’t like what’s happening in the media today. He believes there isn’t enough accountability in the news, and that media companies are also focused on clicks and page views instead of presenting the real, valuable truth.
Musk has even outlined the creation of a website for people to rate and vote on the reliability of articles. This includes rating and voting on their authors likewise. If this comes to fruition, he would telephone call the site Pravda after the Soviet communist newspaper whose use of proper name, which means “truth,” was a farce. To be compared to Russian propaganda makes it quite clear only how far American journalism has fallen.
His Piece of work Ethic Is Unbelievable
It shouldn’t be too shocking that a billionaire has an insane work ethic. Yet, his chapters for productivity could exist chosen apropos. He has said that if an entrepreneur wants to exist successful, they should put in 80 to 100 hours a week. That’southward twice the fourth dimension of a full-fourth dimension job!
For Musk, that’south exactly the point. In society to stay ahead of your competitors, you take to do more than piece of work than them. He is known to multitask whenever possible and to start his day early on at 7 a.one thousand.
He Tried to Save the Thai Soccer Boys
In 2018, a youth soccer team in Thailand got trapped in a cave due to heavy rains in monsoon season. The 12 boys and their coach spent 10 days inside the cave, waiting for rescue and growing weaker. After seeing the news, Musk sprang into action.
He had a mini-submarine that he hoped could aid in their rescue. Information technology was supposedly designed for this blazon of task. For one reason or some other, the equipment wasn’t practical for the rescue team (pictured), and it wasn’t used. Despite his all-time intentions, he wasn’t able to help resolve the situation.
He Plagiarized a Farting Unicorn?
In 2017, Elon Musk tweeted a photograph of a mug with a colorful drawing of a farting unicorn under a rainbow. He loved it! Unfortunately, an uncannily similar drawing later appeared in a Tesla Christmas card. This didn’t go unnoticed by the artist’south girl, who called Musk out.
Although he eventually deleted the tweets, Daily News reports that Musk brushed off the daughter’s concerns by writing “too bad, I’m stealing his mug crayon drawing… tough.” Musk also called the artist “lame” for seeking fiscal compensation. In any case, he is sure to think twice before doing it once again in the futurity.
He Doesn’t Like Vacations — For a Good Reason
In that location’south a adept reason that Musk has claimed his vacations are cursed. He simply doesn’t have good luck with them — something always seems to go wrong while he’s away. When he offset took a vacation from PayPal, he was replaced by someone else. Later creating SpaceX, he took some other vacation — and a rocket exploded!
Finally, when Musk was traveling in Brazil, he ended upwardly with malaria that could accept been fatal. It makes sense that he’south wary of taking time away from work. For a human being with so many businesses to manage, it’s honestly a surprise he’s able to go anywhere at all.
He Has “Let Loose” on the Air
Elon Musk went on the
Joe Rogan Experience
podcast in 2018 for a long give-and-take nearly his life, career and behavior. Information technology was a relaxed atmosphere, and the ii had a good time talking artificial intelligence, technology and colonies on Mars. But did they take a piddling too much fun?
Viewers were shocked to run across Musk beverage some whiskey with Rogan and also toke a joint. When asked if he regularly used marijuana, he said he didn’t because information technology “isn’t skillful for productivity.” What else would you lot expect from the male monarch of working long hours?
His Bacon Isn’t as High equally You Think
The CEO of Tesla has said that he would be happy not receiving a salary at all for the work he does. That isn’t possible nether California police, so Musk settles for minimum wage. That’s right — he makes $37,000 a yr.
Why does he refuse a college salary? Well, it’s non like he isn’t making coin — he’due south one of the richest men alive, after all. Musk makes money on the stock value of Tesla. He’s not the only one who opts for a small salary. Mark Zuckerberg only accepts official payment of $1 equally CEO of Facebook.
Cyberspace Worth
Elon Musk found economic success starting at a immature historic period, and things accept but improved for him since then. He sits at #23 on the Forbes 400 list and has a net worth of $22.4 billion.At only 48 years old, he could still accomplish fifty-fifty greater heights.
Despite controversies and criticisms, Elon Musk has a vivid mind that works in mysterious ways, and information technology has served him well. He might not alive to run into settlements on Mars or AI engineering that benefits humanity, but he is certainly paving the manner for those achievements.
