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Elon Musk is widely regarded as one of the most influential and controversial entrepreneurs of the 21st century. From co-founding PayPal to leading Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly Twitter), his career is a study in relentless ambition and innovation. This biography covers Elon Musk’s age, net worth, wife, children, education, companies, lifestyle, and much more.
Quick Facts: Elon Musk Wiki
- Full Name: Elon Reeve Musk
- Date of Birth: June 28, 1971
- Age: 54 years old (as of 2026)
- Birthplace: Pretoria, South Africa
- Nationality: South African-American
- Religion: Not publicly declared (raised in Christian-influenced household)
- Ethnicity: White South African
- Occupation: Entrepreneur, Engineer, Investor, CEO
- Net Worth: Approximately $220 billion (2026)
Early Life and Background
Elon Reeve Musk was born on June 28, 1971, in Pretoria, South Africa. He is the son of Errol Musk, a South African electromechanical engineer and property developer, and Maye Musk, a Canadian-South African model and dietitian. Elon has a younger brother, Kimbal Musk, who is also an entrepreneur, and a younger sister, Tosca Musk, a filmmaker.
Elon had a difficult childhood. His parents divorced when he was nine years old. He has spoken openly about being bullied at school and spending much of his youth reading books and teaching himself computer programming. By the age of 12, he had already created a video game called Blastar and sold it to a computer magazine for approximately $500.
Education
Elon Musk attended Waterkloof House Preparatory School and Pretoria Boys High School in South Africa. At age 17, he moved to Canada to attend Queen’s University, where he studied for two years before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and a Bachelor of Arts in Physics.
He was later accepted into Stanford University’s energy physics PhD program but deferred his enrollment after just two days to pursue his entrepreneurial ambitions. He has since received honorary degrees and recognitions from multiple institutions globally.
Career Journey
Elon Musk’s career began with co-founding Zip2 Corporation in 1995, a software company that provided business directories and maps to newspapers. Compaq acquired it in 1999 for approximately $307 million, and Musk received $22 million from the sale.
He then co-founded X.com, an online payment company, which later merged with Confinity to become PayPal. eBay acquired PayPal in 2002 for $1.5 billion, giving Musk a $165 million payout. He went on to found SpaceX in 2002 with the long-term goal of making humanity a multi-planetary species. SpaceX has since become the world’s leading private space company, launching satellites, supplying the International Space Station, and developing reusable rockets.
In 2004, Musk joined Tesla Motors as chairman and later became CEO. Under his leadership, Tesla transformed the electric vehicle industry. He also co-founded Neuralink (brain-computer interfaces), The Boring Company (tunneling and infrastructure), and xAI (artificial intelligence).
In 2022, Musk acquired Twitter for $44 billion and rebranded it as X, positioning it as a global ‘everything app.’
Personal Life
Elon Musk’s personal life has been as eventful as his professional one. He is known for his workaholic tendencies and often sleeps at his offices. His lifestyle reflects his all-in commitment to his companies and vision for humanity’s future.
Wife and Relationships
Elon Musk has been married three times. His first wife was Canadian author Justine Wilson, whom he married in 2000. They had six children together, one of whom sadly passed away from sudden infant death syndrome at 10 weeks old. They divorced in 2008.
He married British actress Talulah Riley in 2010, divorced in 2012, remarried in 2013, and divorced again in 2016. He later had a high-profile relationship with musician Grimes (Claire Boucher), with whom he has three children. He has also had a child with Shivon Zilis, a Neuralink executive. As of 2025, his relationship status is not clearly defined publicly.
Children
Elon Musk has at least 12 known children as of 2025, making him one of the most prolific celebrity parents. His children include Nevada Alexander Musk (deceased), twins Griffin and Vivian (formerly Xavier) Musk, triplets Kai, Saxon, and Damian Musk (with Justine Wilson), X AE A-XII Musk, Exa Dark Sidereal Musk, and Techno Mechanicus Musk (with Grimes), as well as twins with Shivon Zilis, and reportedly another child born in 2024.
Net Worth
Elon Musk is regularly listed as the world’s wealthiest person. As of 2026, his net worth is estimated at approximately $220 billion. His source of wealth primarily comes from his ownership stakes in Tesla, SpaceX, X Corp, Neuralink, and The Boring Company, along with various investment ventures. His fortune has fluctuated significantly due to Tesla stock movements and business developments.
Cars and House
Elon Musk famously sold most of his homes in 2020, stating he would own no fixed residence and live in a small prefabricated house in Boca Chica, Texas, near the SpaceX launch site. However, he has access to multiple properties through his companies.
As for cars, Musk drives a Tesla Cybertruck and has been spotted in various Tesla models. He previously owned a Lotus Esprit submarine car (from the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me) purchased at auction for $866,000.
Businesses and Investments
- Tesla Inc. (CEO, largest shareholder)
- SpaceX (Founder, CEO)
- X Corp (Owner, formerly Twitter)
- Neuralink (Co-founder)
- The Boring Company (Founder)
- xAI (Founder)
- Early investor in DeepMind (sold shares later)
Awards and Achievements
- Named TIME Magazine Person of the Year 2021
- Forbes World’s Richest Person (multiple years)
- First private individual to send a rocket to orbit and return it safely
- Tesla Model 3 became the best-selling electric car globally
- SpaceX became the first private company to dock with the International Space Station
Social Media Handles
- Twitter/X: @elonmusk
- Instagram: @elonmusk (limited activity)
Interesting Facts About Elon Musk
- He taught himself programming at age 12.
- He moved to Canada at 17 to avoid mandatory military service in South Africa.
- He is a dual citizen of the USA, Canada, and South Africa.
- He named his child X AE A-XII, pronounced ‘X Ash A Twelve.’
- He once offered to solve a water crisis in Flint, Michigan, on Twitter.
- He has publicly discussed his Asperger’s syndrome diagnosis on TV.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How old is Elon Musk?
Elon Musk was born on June 28, 1971. He is 53 years old as of 2026.
What is Elon Musk’s net worth?
Elon Musk’s net worth is approximately $220 billion as of 2026.
How many children does Elon Musk have?
Elon Musk has at least 12 known children as of 2026.
What is Elon Musk’s religion?
Elon Musk has not declared a specific religion. He was raised in a household with Christian influences but identifies more with scientific and philosophical worldviews.
What is Elon Musk’s source of wealth?
His source of wealth includes ownership stakes in Tesla, SpaceX, X Corp, and several other ventures.
Conclusion
Elon Musk’s biography reads like a science fiction novel. From a bullied child in South Africa to the world’s wealthiest person and the architect of humanity’s potential future on Mars, his life is extraordinary by any measure. Whether you admire or criticize him, there is no denying that Elon Musk is reshaping civilization as we know it.
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