Elon Musk. Just hearing his name, you already know it’s about something big, something futuristic, something that sounds impossible—but then he just does it. Elon Musk doesn’t follow rules, doesn’t fear risks, and definitely doesn’t care if people think he’s crazy. Whether it’s space travel, electric vehicles, AI, or digging tunnels under cities, this company-building machine is shaping the future.
Let’s dive into 10 surprising facts about Musk that prove why he’s one of the most fascinating entrepreneurs in history.
1. Elon Musk’s First Company Made Him a Millionaire at 27
Before Elon Musk became a household name, he was just a broke entrepreneur with big dreams. In 1995, he and his brother Kimbal Musk founded Zip2, a company that created online business directories with maps. Think of it as Google Maps before Google Maps existed.
Despite living in his office and showering at the YMCA, Elon Musk made Zip2 a success. By 1999, Compaq saw its potential and bought the company for $307 million. Musk personally made $22 million from the deal. Not bad for a guy who was sleeping under his desk.
2. Elon Musk Helped Create PayPal – Then Cashed Out
Ever used PayPal? You can thank Elon Musk. In 1999, he founded X.com, an online banking startup. A year later, it merged with another company and became PayPal. Musk was obsessed with making online transactions easier, and it worked—by 2002, eBay saw the potential and bought PayPal for a mind-blowing $1.5 billion.
Musk personally walked away with $180 million. Instead of retiring on a yacht, he put nearly all of it into building new companies that would redefine entire industries. That’s when things got really interesting.
3. SpaceX Was Almost a Complete Disaster
In 2002, Elon Musk founded SpaceX, a company with a crazy goal—make space travel cheap and colonize Mars. But things didn’t go smoothly. Musk blew through $100 million of his own money trying to launch rockets. The first three launches failed.
By 2008, Musk’s company was on the brink of bankruptcy. One more failure, and it was over. But on the fourth try, Falcon 1 finally reached orbit. That win led to a $1.6 billion contract with NASA, and now SpaceX is launching rockets faster than ever. Oh, and did we mention he wants to build a city on Mars?
4. Tesla Nearly Bankrupted Elon Musk
Most people think Musk founded Tesla, but he actually joined in 2004 as an investor. Eventually, he took over as CEO and turned it into the world’s most famous electric vehicle company. But it wasn’t easy.
During the 2008 financial crisis, Tesla was days away from bankruptcy. Elon Musk had to personally borrow money to pay Tesla employees. Fast forward to today, and Tesla is worth over $850 billion, with Musk still leading the company toward an all-electric future.
5. Elon Musk Is Betting Big on Solar Energy
Electric cars are cool, but Musk also wanted to revolutionize how the world gets energy. In 2006, he helped create SolarCity, a solar energy company run by his cousins. A decade later, Tesla acquired it, turning it into Tesla Energy.
Musk’s vision? A world where homes run entirely on solar power. He believes that one day, electricity from the grid will be a thing of the past. And knowing Elon Musk, he’ll probably be right.
6. He Wants to Put Computers in Your Brain
In 2016, Musk founded Neuralink, a company that’s working on brain-computer interfaces. Sounds like sci-fi? Well, it’s happening. Neuralink’s goal is to help paralyzed people control devices with their thoughts.
By 2024, Elon Musk’s company successfully implanted a chip in a human brain for the first time. Musk says one day, this could let people communicate telepathically or even merge with AI. Scary or exciting? Maybe both.
7. Musk Wants to Fix Traffic With Tunnels
Hate traffic? So does Musk. That’s why in 2016, he started The Boring Company — yes, that’s really the name. The company digs tunnels under cities to create high-speed underground transportation.
There’s already a test tunnel in Las Vegas, and Musk claims future versions could hit speeds of 150 mph. Whether it works or not, you have to admit—the guy thinks differently.
8. The World’s Richest Man (Again)
As of January 2025, Musk’s net worth is a mind-blowing $436 billion, making him the richest person on Earth. Most of his wealth comes from Tesla and SpaceX, but with all his other companies, his empire keeps growing.
Despite being a billionaire, Musk reportedly lives in a $50,000 prefab house near SpaceX’s launch site. No mega-mansions, no gold-plated jets—just a guy with way too many companies to run.
9. Musk Helped Fund Trump’s 2024 Campaign
In 2024, Musk shocked many by donating over $250 million to Donald Trump’s re-election campaign. After Trump won, Musk was appointed to lead a new government efficiency department.
Some saw it as a genius move, others as controversial. Either way, Elon Musk is now shaping not just companies, but politics too.
10. Musk Has 11 Kids (With Wild Names)
Beyond building companies, Elon Musk is also building a big family—11 kids and counting. His most famous relationship was with singer Grimes, with whom he has three kids. One of them? Techno Mechanicus, nicknamed “Tau.”
Yeah, that’s a real name. But hey, when your dad is Elon Musk, you don’t get a boring name.
Final Thoughts
Love him or hate him, Elon Musk is one of the most fascinating people alive. From nearly going broke to building billion-dollar companies, he keeps taking risks that change entire industries. Whether it’s rockets, AI, or underground tunnels, one thing’s clear—he’s not stopping.
So, what do you think? Is Musk a genius, a madman, or something in between? One thing’s certain—he’s making the future a lot more interesting.