Personal stories
Short, sourced explainers on the people, places, and turning points outside the company hubs. For the timeline view, see Personal Life.
Childhood in Pretoria
Books, bullying, and the science fiction that shaped his mission-driven streak.
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Leaving South Africa
He left at 17 in 1989 for Canada on a passport through his mother, Maye Musk.
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Blastar
The space shooter he coded around age 12 and sold for about $500.
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McLaren F1 Crash
One of about 100 cars in the world, wrecked uninsured with Peter Thiel aboard.
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Ousted at PayPal
Replaced as CEO while overseas in 2000; the stake later seeded SpaceX and Tesla.
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Near-Fatal Malaria
A delayed honeymoon trip that put him in intensive care.
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2008 Near-Collapse
Divorce, a third Falcon 1 failure, and Tesla hours from bankruptcy.
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Asperger's Reveal on SNL
What he said on the 2021 broadcast and how he frames it.
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"Will Own No House" Pledge
The 2020 tweets and the mansions he sold, including Gene Wilder's old home.
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First Trillionaire?
Forbes on the brief $1T cross after the SpaceX IPO, and where the numbers stand now.
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Prefer a chronological view? Read the Personal Life timeline.