Elon Musk is on a mission to save the world. His visionary pursuits—from electric vehicles to Mars colonization—promise to reshape humanity's future, but at a profound personal cost.
Musk embodies the relentless drive of a true innovator. As biographer Ashlee Vance noted in a Vox interview, "The greatest thing that people miss is his level of determination and commitment." For Musk, his work isn't just a job; it's a life-and-death struggle. This intensity has led to burned marriages, limited time with his children, and a life far from ordinary.
His achievements read like science fiction turned reality: PayPal revolutionized online banking; Tesla brought consumer electric cars to the masses; SpaceX aims to colonize Mars; Hyperloop envisions high-speed underground travel; and Neuralink addresses AI risks.
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Born in Pretoria, South Africa, to a Canadian dietitian-model mother, Maye, and engineer father, Errol, Musk grew up in an upper-middle-class family. A voracious reader of sci-fi and comics, he coded his first game, Blastar, at age 12, earning $500 and publication in a tech magazine. Bullied relentlessly in school, he endured beatings and isolation, yet his quest for knowledge never wavered.
At 17, he moved to Canada, later earning degrees in economics and physics from the University of Pennsylvania. Dropping Stanford after two days, he co-founded Zip2 with brother Kimbal in 1995. The startup, sold to Compaq for $307 million in 1999, netted Musk $22 million at age 28.
Next, X.com (later PayPal) disrupted banking, selling to eBay in 2002 for $180 million after taxes. Musk's demanding style led to board conflicts, but his vision prevailed.
SpaceX was born from frustration with Russian rocket prices. Founded in 2002, it became the first private company to send a payload to orbit, docked with the ISS, and secured a $2.6 billion NASA contract. The reusable Falcon 9 slashed costs dramatically—80% built in-house—winning defense deals worth $180 million.
Musk's drive stems from existential concerns: "Humanity's future is going to branch off in two directions: either multiplanetary or confined to one planet, until an extinction event," he said at D11 in 2013.
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Tesla, where Musk invested $70 million and became CEO, redefined luxury EVs. Despite production delays, fires, and loans, it went public in 2010, raising $226 million. The Model 3, starting at $35,000, garnered $10 billion in pre-sales. Tesla Energy expanded charging networks globally.
SolarCity, co-founded with cousins, became America's top solar installer by 2012, acquired by Tesla for $2.6 billion in 2016. His ventures synergize: Tesla combats fossil fuels, SpaceX ensures multiplanetary survival.
Recent projects include OpenAI ($1 billion pledged to counter AI risks), Neuralink (brain-machine interfaces), Hyperloop (LA to SF in 30 minutes at 800 mph), and The Boring Company (underground tunnels).
Personally, Musk's three marriages— to Justine Wilson (five sons, one lost in infancy) and Talulah Riley (married twice, divorced twice)—highlight sacrifices. Justine wrote in Marie Claire of his dominating will: "What he has has a price... someone always pays."
Therapist Laurel Steinberg, Ph.D., observes that high achievers often struggle in relationships, applying professional conquest dynamics to personal life.
Yet Musk remains involved with his children and is evolving. Friend Adeo Ressi notes his growing appreciation for others' uniqueness.
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"He always works with a different understanding of reality than the rest of us," said former PayPal colleague Julie Anderson Ankenbrandt in Vance's Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future.
This article originally appeared in the September 2017 issue of SUCCESS magazine.
