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Elon Musk Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 4, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birthJune 28, 1971

Age54 Years

BirthplacePretoria, Transvaal, South Africa

ProfessionEntrepreneur, Investor

NationalityAmerican

Marital statusDivorced

FamilyParents: Errol Musk and Maye Musk; Siblings: Kimbal Musk, Tosca Musk

Net worth$500 billion (as of October 2025)

Elon Musk Biography

Elon Reeve Musk is a technology entrepreneur and investor best known for leading SpaceX and Tesla. Born in Pretoria, South Africa in 1971, he has founded,‑

Early life and background

Elon Reeve Musk was born on June 28, 1971, in Pretoria, Transvaal, South Africa. Raised in a family with roots in South Africa and Canada, and with additional British and Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry noted on his maternal side, Musk spent his early years in Pretoria and attended local schools including Waterkloof House Preparatory School, Bryanston High School and Pretoria Boys High School.

From a young age he showed an aptitude for technology. He taught himself computer programming around the age of ten and sold a simple video game as a child. He later moved to Canada shortly before his 18th birthday and began studies that would include time at Queen's University and the University of Pennsylvania. He holds bachelor’s degrees in economics and physics from the University of Pennsylvania and was briefly enrolled in a doctoral program at Stanford University before leaving to pursue business opportunities.

Career

Musk’s early ventures with his brother Kimbal included the founding of Zip2, a web software company, which was later acquired. He went on to co-found X.com, which merged with Confinity and evolved into PayPal; that business was later sold to eBay. Over the following years Musk launched and led several high-profile technology companies.

He is widely known as the chief executive of Tesla and SpaceX. His work in electric vehicles, private spaceflight and related fields brought him industry awards and recognition over many years, including honors from aerospace and engineering organisations. His entrepreneurial activities have spanned automotive, space, energy and online services.

Public profile

Musk’s public life has been prominent and often polarizing. He has been involved in multiple high-profile controversies arising from public statements and business decisions. These episodes have included disputes over social media activity, legal and regulatory confrontations, and public disagreements with other figures. Several controversies associated with his businesses and personal conduct received substantial media attention and, in some cases, led to legal action.

Personal life and family

Musk has been married and divorced, and his relationships have been part of public interest. He has 12 children. His first marriage was to Canadian author Justine Wilson; the couple experienced the loss of a first child in infancy and later had twins and triplets via in vitro fertilization. He has three children with musician Claire Boucher (known professionally as Grimes) and three children with Shivon Zilis, an executive at Neuralink, including twins born in November 2021 and a child born in 2024. Several of his children’s names have been reported publicly.

Musk’s parents are Errol Musk, an electromechanical engineer, pilot and sailor, and Maye Musk, a model and dietitian. He has two siblings: Kimbal Musk, an entrepreneur and philanthropist, and Tosca Musk, a filmmaker.

Interests and public positions

Musk has described himself as an atheist. He has expressed views that span political affiliations and has been associated with founding a political party. His public statements include strong opinions about technology and the future, particularly concerning artificial intelligence and space exploration. Outside of work, his interests include reading, video games and travel. He is known to own a range of vehicles and has described himself as a non-vegetarian.

Awards and recognition

Across his career Musk has received numerous awards in recognition of contributions to spaceflight, aviation and technology. These include industry and professional honours from aeronautics organizations, engineering societies and media outlets, and later recognition such as Time Person of the Year.

Latest updates

In recent years Musk’s activities continued to draw attention. He has been involved in high-profile corporate transactions and disputes, leadership changes at social media platforms he acquired, and public exchanges with political figures. Developments related to legal actions involving former employees and public allegations about his personal life have also been reported, and some matters remain subjects of ongoing public and legal interest.
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Recent Work

Owner and leader of Twitter (now X)

Acquired the social media company and implemented leadership and management changes, leading to legal disputes with some terminated executives.

2022-2024
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Career Highlights

  1. Co-founded Zip2 and X.com (which became PayPal)
  2. Founder and CEO of SpaceX
  3. CEO of Tesla
  4. Received multiple aerospace and technology awards, and named Time Person of the Year in 2021
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Net Worth

$500 billion (as of October 2025)

Figures are editorial estimates based on publicly available reporting and may change as new information emerges.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Elon Musk born?

June 28, 1971

What is Elon Musk known for?

Entrepreneur, Investor

What is Elon Musk’s marital status?

Divorced

What is Elon Musk’s net worth?

$500 billion (as of October 2025)