Elon Musk Biography

A Complete Biography of Tesla Boss Elon Musk 

When people today talk about modern-day success stories in entrepreneurship, engineering, and technological innovation, Elon Musk's name inevitably garners much of the discussion. Musk is the name behind some of the most recognizable, trailblazing, and talked-about companies this century. He is constantly ranked among the wealthiest business magnates in the world whilst also maintaining a persona akin to a rock star which only serves to contribute to his popularity.

A look at the background and beginnings of Elon Reeve Musk reveals where he gets much of his innovative and exploring spirit. His father, Errol Musk, is an electromechanical engineer, sailor and pilot. Meanwhile, his mother Maye is a model and a dietician. Musk's father is a native of South Africa, while his mother is originally from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Musk's ancestry includes British, American, and Pennsylvania Dutch roots.

Musk was born in Pretoria, Transvaal, South Africa on June 28, 1971. Pretoria, a city in the northern region of Gauteng, is one of South Africa's capital cities and is known to be a center of academic study, with three major universities, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and the South African Bureau of Standards within its territory. Pretoria is the birthplace of many other notable South Africans, including athlete Oscar Pistorius, entrepreneur Sammy Marks, South African Republic president Paul Kruger, and venture capitalist Roelof Botha.

As a child, Musk showed an early love for reading, devouring several books at a time. The young Musk was an introvert compared to his younger siblings Kimbal and Tosca. Much of his childhood was spent in the suburbs of Pretoria, particularly Waterkloof, an affluent area where many foreign diplomats resided. Musk's parents divorced in 1980, and he mostly lived with his father. Recreation included thoroughbred horses, trips on their father's yacht, and holiday travels to Europe, Hong Kong, and the United States.

Although it was common for wealthy South African families to hire household staff, Errol determined early on to train his children to do their own household chores and learn to cook their own meals. "I guess I was a bit of an autocratic father — do this, do that. I was a single parent, and they simply had to help out," Errol said in an interview to The Mercury News.

Musk's passion for reading eventually led to an early interest in computers. He owned a Commodore Vic 20, a Spectra video, and an IBM, all of which added to his interest in learning more about computing and computer programming. In fact, at the age of 12, he successfully taught himself programming and designed the code for a BASIC-based video game called Blastar. The space-themed PC game looks like a mix between Space Invaders and Asteroid, with the player's mission to destroy alien spacecraft carrying hydrogen bombs and destroyer machines. A 12-year-old Elon was able to sell the code for Blastar to the magazine PC and Office Technology for $500.

Unfortunately, Musk was not spared from being bullied throughout his childhood. Because he was bookish and socially awkward, interested more in science fiction and computers, classmates picked on him constantly. At one time, Musk's classmates pushed him down a long concrete stairwell. In another instance, the young Musk was beaten so severely that he had to be taken to the hospital.

to be continued...