Elon Musk is an outspoken and charismatic CEO, a role that is rarely seen as flashy at most companies. Then again, most companies aren’t electric car pioneers like Tesla or space exploration companies like SpaceX.
Despite Musk’s fame, there are things you likely do not know about the (sometimes) world’s richest person. Here are 20 of them.
Over 50? Join AARP today — because if you’re not a member you could be missing out on huge perks. When you start your membership today, you can get discounts on things like travel, meal deliveries, eyeglasses, prescriptions that aren’t covered by insurance and more. How to become a member today: Important: Start your membership by creating an account here and filling in all of the information (Do not skip this step!) Doing so will allow you to take up 25% off your AARP membership, making it just $12 per year with auto-renewal.
If you’re over 50, take advantage of massive discounts and financial resources
He almost sold Tesla to Google
At a dire time in Tesla’s history, Musk reached out to Google CEO Larry Page about buying the failing car company, according to Ashlee Vance's book "Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future."
The two allegedly initially agreed in 2013 to a sale price of $6 billion, but it never came to be.
He dropped out of Stanford
Musk lasted two days at Stanford before dropping out of school. He was there initially to pursue a doctorate in physics.
Instead, he left the school to start up his first company, Zip2, which he sold four years later for more than $300 million.
He owns a James Bond car
In 2013, Musk bought a Lotus Esprit for almost $1 million. Why so much? Because it was a 1976 version that had been fixed up to become an underwater car for James Bond in the movie “The Spy Who Loved Me.”
Musk later admitted that he used the car for inspiration when designing his Tesla Cybertruck.
Credit card debt is suffocating. It constantly weighs on your mind and controls every choice you make. You can end up emotionally and even physically drained from it. And even though you make regular payments, it feels like you can never make any progress because of the interest. National Debt Relief could help you resolve your credit card debt with an affordable plan that works for you. Just tell them your situation, then find out your debt relief options.1 How to get National Debt Relief to help you resolve your debt: Sign up for a free debt assessment here. (Do not skip this step!) By signing up for a free assessment, National Debt Relief can assist you in settling your debt, but only if you schedule the assessment.Resolve $10,000 or more of your debt
He has lots of kids
Musk has ten living children — five with his ex-wife Justine, three with the musician Grimes, and two with Neuralink director of operations and special projects Shivon Zilis. He also had a son, Nevada, who died of SIDS in 2002.
In an interview with "The Wall Street Journal" in 2021, he said civilization is going to crumble if people don’t have more children. “I'm trying to set a good example. Yeah. Got to practice what I preach,” he said.
He’s made cameos in movies and TV
Yes, Musk has an IMDb page. His first cameo was in the 2010 movie “Iron Man 2” and he played himself on TV’s “The Big Bang Theory.”
And if live-action isn’t your thing, Musk has also become a cartoon version of himself in “The Simpsons,” “South Park,” and “Rick and Morty.”
Trending Stories
He provided inspiration for Tony Stark
When Robert Downey Jr. was preparing for his role as Tony Stark in “Iron Man,” he turned to Musk for some inspiration.
The two men met and Musk helped Downey add some mannerisms to his version of Stark that made the movies extra exciting.
He’s from South Africa
Musk was born in South Africa and lived there until he was 17. His family then moved to Canada, and he started his collegiate career at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.
He used to work at PayPal
Musk co-founded X.com, an online bank that merged with another company to form PayPal. The ecommerce company eBay bought PayPal in 2002 for $1.5 billion. Musk, who was one of PayPal’s largest shareholders, made at least $175 million on the deal.
He’s the richest person in the world (sometimes)
There's no doubt that Musk’s ventures have made him very, very rich. But whether he's the richest person in the world is up for debate.
While he has sat at the top of such lists, he's prone to falling out of the top spot when Tesla's stock dips. He currently has an estimated wealth of more than $248 billion. Yes, billion.
Earn cash back on everyday purchases with this rare account
Want to earn cash back on your everyday purchases without using a credit card? With the Discover®️ Cashback Debit Checking account (member FDIC), you can earn 1% cash back on up to $3,000 in debit card purchases each month!2
With no credit check to apply and no monthly fees to worry about, you can earn nearly passive income on purchases you’re making anyway — up to an extra $360 a year!
This rare checking account has other great perks too, like access to your paycheck up to 2 days early with Early Pay, no minimum deposit or monthly balance requirements, over 60K fee-free ATMs, and the ability to add cash to your account at Walmart stores nationwide.
Don’t leave money on the table — it only takes minutes to apply and it won’t impact your credit score.
He wasn’t the founder of Tesla
Musk’s most successful venture may be Tesla, but the company wasn’t his idea. Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning founded the company in 2003 and brought Musk and his money aboard a year later.
Musk invested $6.35 million in Tesla’s first round of venture funding in 2004. He’s now CEO of the company.
He used his PayPal money to create SpaceX
Musk created SpaceX in 2002 and the aerospace company now launches spacecraft to the International Space Station with both supplies and astronauts.
Musk was able to start the company with $100 million he earned when eBay acquired PayPal.
He inspired the creation of a solar-energy company
SolarCity was founded in 2006 by two of Musk’s cousins, Peter and Lyndon Rive, and Musk invested $10 million into the company early on. He also held a seat on the company’s board.
Tesla eventually acquired the solar company in 2016 for $2.6 billion and rebranded it as Tesla Energy.
He named his son after a comic book character
Musk’s son Xavier has a special inspiration for his name: Comic book character Professor Xavier of Marvel’s X-Men. “One of my sons is named Xavier, after Professor X!” he confirmed in a 2017 tweet.
He has Asperger’s syndrome
The tech mogul has been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, a milder form of autism with characteristics such as a detailed focus on topics of interest and difficulty with social interactions.
In 2022, he described growing up with the syndrome: “I think everyone's experience is going to be somewhat different, but I guess for me, the social cues were not intuitive. I was just very bookish and I didn't understand these.”
His mom is a model
Maye Musk is currently a model and has the distinction of being the oldest "Sports Illustrated" swimsuit cover model. She was 74 years old when she made this year’s cover.
She’s also a model for the Covergirl makeup brand.
He’s been tweeting for a while
Musk made headlines when he made an offer to buy Twitter in 2022, tried to back out, and then ended up with it (and then renaming it "X"), but the social networking site isn’t a recent interest of his.
He actually joined Twitter in June 2009, and there have been many of Musk’s infamous tweets to review in the years since.
He founded The Boring Company
No, The Boring Company isn’t some dull venture. It’s actually a company that’s finding a way to bore tunnels underground that can transport people and goods more quickly than surface roads with traffic.
His doesn't take a salary at Tesla
Musk’s wealth is based on stocks and his ownership of companies. But how much does he actually make as CEO of Tesla? According to a company statement, he takes no salary.
His Tesla is in space
In 2018, SpaceX launched one of its Falcon Heavy rockets into space with a very unusual cargo: a Tesla Roadster. The car was purchased by Musk and is currently still floating in space.
He created a video game
When Musk was 12 years old, he created the video game Blastar. He ended up selling it to a computer magazine in 1984 for $500.
Bottom line
Elon Musk is an interesting character and entrepreneur. Investors and non-investors alike have to be ready for everything from Musk’s comments about politics, how to prepare for the next recession, and his musings on anything else.
More from FinanceBuzz:
- 7 things to do if you’re barely scraping by financially.
- Do you owe the IRS >$10K? Ask this company to help you eliminate your late tax debt.
- 12 legit ways to earn extra cash.
- Learn how you can escape the paycheck-to-paycheck grind.
Lucrative, Flat-Rate Cash Rewards
FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
Current Offer
$200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months
Annual Fee
$0
Rewards Rate
Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases
Benefits
- Low spend threshold for its welcome offer — $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months
- Cell phone protection benefit (subject to a $25 deductible)
- Can redeem rewards at an ATM for literal cash
Drawbacks
- Foreign transaction fee of 3%
- No bonus categories
- Select “Apply Now” to take advantage of this specific offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
- Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
- Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.
- 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. 19.74%, 24.74%, or 29.74% Variable APR thereafter; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% then a BT fee of up to 5%, min: $5.
- $0 annual fee.
- No categories to track or remember and cash rewards don’t expire as long as your account remains open.
- Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.
- Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
Subscribe Today
Want extra-cash moves to come right to you?
Stop browsing endlessly. Get proven ways to earn pocket money, help cover rent, and crush your debt — sent to your inbox daily.