There’s hardly anyone who hasn’t heard about Elon Musk. Indeed, the guy is a visionary and one of the greatest entrepreneurial innovators in the current times. There’s so much he has achieved, and he shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. Yes, everyone has their unique journey, but Elon Musk is an inspiration.
His astounding success took the world by surprise. It wasn’t long before he joined the league of other incredibly famous visionary businessmen such as Henry Ford, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Howard Hughes. As per records, in 2021, his estimated total net worth is nearly $151 billion.
While everyone knows about his achievements, very few are aware of the story behind the brain of Elon Musk. For example, did you know that the guy had a pretty difficult childhood? This contributed to his relentless work ethic. It’s time the world knows about Elon Musk beyond a superficial level to understand the magnitude of his success better.
Difficult Early Years and the Beginning of an Incredible Journey
Elon Musk was born in Pretoria in 1971. He was the eldest of his siblings. His father was an engineer, while his mother was a model and nutritionist. Interestingly, all three children of the couple are high achievers.
The couple divorced in 1980, after which Elon lived with his father for most of his childhood. According to his various statements, his father was guilty of much wrongdoing. In fact, the visionary has gone as far as to deem his upbringing “terrible” with a lot of adversity.
Since his childhood, Musk has been a bookworm. He loved to read practically everything, including comic books and even encyclopedias. His intellect did not really work in his favor early in his life as he became a victim of bullying.
After completing his early schooling at the private, English-speaking Waterkloof High Preparatory School, he graduated from Pretoria Boys High School. As per his own admission, these years were pretty hard on him, and he led a lonely and brutal life.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t evade his bullies, who even used his best friend to lure him out of hiding. If school was bad, the household environment was even worse. There was no respite for him. Not surprisingly, growing up was hard for the kid who would later go on to become one of the most sought-after entrepreneurs of all time.
However, the troubled kid found his escape in technology.
He was merely ten years old when he learned programming via a Commodore VIC-20. It did not take him long to become so proficient at it that he created a video game of his own, Blastar which was sold to a magazine, PC and Office Technology, for $500. This is how his journey began.
Musk’s Years in Canada
Musk moved to Canada when he was 17 as he did not wish to serve in the South African Military. Subsequently, Musk obtained Canadian citizenship through his mother.
In Canada, he enrolled in Queen’s University in Kingston, where he also met his future wife, Justine Wilson. The couple had five kids together before divorcing in 2008.
After studying for two years at Queen’s University, Elon Musk transferred to the U.S. to enroll at the University of Pennsylvania. Although he took on two majors, he took time out to relax as well.
Musk graduated with a bachelor of arts in economics and a bachelor of science in physics from the Wharton school. As is apparent, these two majors had a significant influence on his career.
Musk then moved to California when he was 24 to pursue Ph.D. in applied physics at Stanford University. However, it did not take him long to identify his true calling. His entrepreneurial visions took over, and he abandoned the program in merely two days.
Yes, the story behind the brain of Elon Musk is not all about success. It took vision, zeal, grit, and determination to reach this position. But once he identified his real direction, there was no stopping him. The world has seen everything he has accomplished after venturing into business and will likely continue to witness his success for a long time to come.
The Journey of Elon Musk In the Business World
One look at the journey of Elon Musk in the business world is sufficient to impress anyone. He has tried his hand in many businesses and attained success in all. Here’s a little peek into some of his major ventures.
Zip2
He started this one with his younger brother, Kimbal Musk, in 1995. The company provided licensed city guide software to newspapers. It was acquired by AltaVista in 1999 for $340 million.
X.Com
Flush with cash, Musk partnered with Harris Fricker, Ed Ho, and Christopher Payne to found X.com. This was an online bank that later merged with Confinity Inc.
PayPal
The merger of the two companies gave rise to PayPal, which continues to be one of the major platforms for online payments. Elon Musk was ousted from the company, which was later bought by eBay.
Tesla Motors
It was after his ouster from PayPal that Elon Musk dedicated his time to making his vision of electric cars a reality. Tesla Motors was launched in 2003, and the first electric car by the company was presented to the world soon after.
SpaceX
While handling Tesla, Elon Musk also launched Space X, which designs rockets and collaborates with the U.S. Air Force and NASA.
An Inspirational Success Story
It’s one thing to marvel at the brain of Elon Musk. But when you learn the story behind his success, you realize it wasn’t all just about his brain.
His success can be attributed to his vision, courage, and determination.
He refused to remain confined to conventions. He did not let his difficult childhood dictate his path. Instead, he used every setback as a lesson to emerge even stronger.
Indeed, Elon Musk has taught the world to follow their passion and never take no for an answer.
