ELON MUSK

THE VISIONARY GENIUS AT THE ZENITH

Elon Musk, the iconoclastic visionary of our time, is already recognized as the richest man in the world and one of the most inventive minds of our era. Since Donald Trump's election as President of the United States, supported unwaveringly by Musk, it seems no summit is beyond the reach of this incredible visionary entrepreneur.

Tipped for a key role in the incoming Trump 2 administration, which will take office on January 20, Elon Musk is expected to co-lead a brand-new department: the Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE), alongside Vivek Ramaswamy. The primary mission of this department is to reduce bureaucratic waste and unnecessary federal expenditures, aligning with Trump's campaign promises.

This highly symbolic role aligns perfectly with Musk's image as a champion of innovation and entrepreneurship.

A STRATEGIC POLITICAL SHIFT

Although Elon Musk previously supported Barack Obama and Joe Biden, he initiated a significant political shift starting in 2022. Long a supporter of the Democrats due to their stances on social and economic issues, Musk declared that he could no longer back the party, citing growing disagreements, particularly over policies related to equity and diversity.

Since then, Musk has actively engaged in funding Republican candidates, including Donald Trump. This support represented a risky gamble, as polls initially showed Kamala Harris as the likely winner or, at the very least, neck-and-neck with Trump. True to his risk-taking nature, Musk saw his bet pay off with Trump's victory.

AN INESCAPABLE FIGURE

Today, Elon Musk is a central figure in the new American political landscape. His appointment to a key position in the Trump administration highlights his growing influence and the rise of visionary entrepreneurs in decision-making circles. Once again, Musk demonstrates that boldness and innovation can redefine the rules of the game, including in the political arena.

PROMISING BEGINNINGS

Elon, Reeve Musk, the richest man in the world with a fortune estimated at over $210 billion, was born on June 28, 1971, in Pretoria, South Africa. He was born to a Canadian mother, Maye Musk, a dietitian and model, and a South African father, Errol Musk, an engineer and pilot.

From a young age, Elon showed a keen interest in technology. He taught himself to code and created his first video game, Blastar, which he sold for $500 at the age of 12. After completing his secondary education in South Africa, he moved to Canada in 1989 to seek better opportunities. He briefly studied at Queen's University in Ontario before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania in the United States, where he earned dual degrees in physics and economics in 1995.

Elon's maternal grandfather, Joshua Norman Haldeman, a Canadian-born American, was a politician, a pioneer of chiropractic in Canada, and a record-holding aviator known for his family trips to Africa and Australia. He passed away in 1974 when Elon was still a young child.

After his parents' divorce in 1979, Elon continued to live with his father.A passionate gamer from the age of ten, he also built miniature rocket models as a child and, at the age of 12, coded a small shooting game in the style of Space Invaders, which he managed to sell for the equivalent of $500 to PC and Office Technology magazine.Before being diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, Elon had a difficult relationship with school, teachers, and peers. His behavior was misunderstood and often criticized. He was marked by bullying from classmates who couldn’t relate to him.

In 1988, at the age of 17, after finishing his studies at Pretoria Boys High School, he told his parents he wanted to study in the United States. The following year, he obtained Canadian citizenship in addition to his South African nationality through his maternal heritage and left South Africa for Kingston, Ontario.

For Elon Musk, Canadian citizenship made it easier for him to eventually emigrate to the United States to study, compared to coming from apartheid-era South Africa. In Canada, he enrolled at Queen’s University, financing his studies through part-time work and summer jobs in computing. He graduated with a degree in business administration. In 1992, he left Canada for the United States, where he has since made his residence, and enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania to study physics and economics, financing his studies through a scholarship. He studied there for three years, receiving an undergraduate degree after his first two years, and stayed for an additional year to complete a major in physics, turning his undergraduate degree into a Joint Honours degree.

In 1995, he received a scholarship to pursue a PhD in energy physics at Stanford University.

However, he quickly became aware of the growing development of the internet at the time, and just two days after confirming his admission, he suspended his studies to launch his first company.

A REMARKABLE PERSONALITY AND INTELLIGENCE

Elon Musk has stated that he has Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism, explaining: "I know I sometimes say or post strange things, but that’s how my brain works," and, as a result, he regrets that his comments can sometimes be misinterpreted.

A father of a large, blended family, Elon Musk has 12 children from 3 different mothers, including a newborn who tragically passed away at a young age, as well as triplets and two sets of twins. During a conference in December 2021, he expressed concern about low birth rates, which, according to him, are "one of the greatest risks to civilization."

A RICH PRIVATE LIFE

Elon Musk married Canadian novelist Jennifer Justine Wilson in January 2000. Together, they had six children, including Vivian Jenna Wilson, a transgender woman who, starting in 2022 at the age of 18, announced that she no longer wished to be associated with her father and, with her new legal name, adopted her mother’s maiden name. This revelation was likely a significant reason for Musk’s deep reassessment of his political views on societal issues. The couple divorced in 2008 after eight years of marriage.

In the early 2010s, Musk dated British actress Talulah Riley. They married in 2010, divorced in January 2012, remarried in 2013, and then divorced again in 2016.In 2018, Musk officially began a relationship with Canadian singer Grimes. They had three children together. The couple announced their separation in 2021.

In 2021, Business Insider reported that Musk was also the father of twins, born shortly before his breakup with Grimes and just weeks before their daughter, from his relationship with Canadian Shivon Alice Zilis. He officially recognized them as his children six months after their birth. Later in 2024, it was publicly revealed that Musk and Shivon Zilis, now his partner, quietly welcomed a third child together earlier in the year.

As of 2024, Musk is the father of twelve children, eleven of whom are alive. He has funded a school exclusively for his children and the children of his friends.

His relationship with his transgender daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, deteriorated over the years. In June 2022, at the age of 18, she decided to transition gender. Elon Musk explained that he felt "trapped" for having administratively accepted this transition. Later that year, she chose to sever all ties with her father, adopting new legal names and changing her surname to her mother's. On July 22, 2024, Elon Musk stated that he had "lost his son," referring to Vivian as being "killed by the virus of the woke mind."

EARLY CAREER AND UNPRECEDENTED SUCCESS

In 1995, Elon Musk began a PhD in applied physics at Stanford, which he quickly abandoned to pursue entrepreneurship. Along with his brother Kimbal, he co-founded Zip2, an online city guide platform for newspapers. The company was sold to Compaq in 1999 for $307 million, marking Musk’s first major financial success.

He invested part of the proceeds into co-founding X.COM, an online financial services platform, which later became PAYPAL after a merger. In 2002, PayPal was sold to eBay for $1.5 billion, further solidifying his fortune.

SPACEX (2002) $8.7 Billion Revenue for 2023.Elon Musk founded Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) with the goal of reducing the costs of space exploration and establishing a human colony on Mars. SpaceX has revolutionized the industry with reusable rockets like the Falcon 9 and achieved historic milestones, including collaborations with NASA to transport astronauts to the International Space Station. These innovations have made SpaceX a key player in the future of space exploration, significantly advancing commercial spaceflight capabilities.

TESLA (2004) $96.77 Billion Revenue for 2023Although Tesla Motors was founded in 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, Elon Musk joined the company in 2004 as the principal investor and chairman of the board. Under his leadership, Tesla became a pioneer in electric vehicles, introducing iconic models such as the Model S and Model 3. These vehicles helped reshape the automotive industry, positioning Tesla as a leader in the electric car market, with significant contributions to the shift toward sustainable transportation.

SOLAR CITY (2006). In 2006, Elon Musk co-founded SolarCity, a solar energy company focused on providing affordable and sustainable solar power solutions. SolarCity was later acquired by Tesla in 2016 and became Tesla Energy. This acquisition allowed Tesla to expand its clean energy efforts, integrating solar power with energy storage solutions like the Powerwall, further advancing Musk's vision of a sustainable energy future.

OPENAI (2015) $1.6 Billion Revenue for 2023.In 2015, he co-founded and became co-chairman of OpenAI, a research organization promoting friendly artificial intelligence, which he left in 2018.

THE BORING COMPANY (2016) Estimated Valuation of Nearly $6 Billion in 2024. In 2016, he founded The Boring Company, a tunnel construction company.

NEURALINK (2016) Estimated Valuation of Nearly $1.1 Billion in 2024. Also in 2016, he founded Neuralink, a neurotechnology company.

TWITTER (2022) Estimated Revenue of $2.9 Billion for 2024.In 2022, Musk acquired Twitter for the staggering sum of $44 billion, rebranded it as X, with the aim of transforming the platform into a multifunctional tool.

A PHILOSOPHY, A VISION

Elon Musk is also known for his views on topics such as artificial intelligence, government regulation, and social media. He is often described as a visionary. His primary mission is to ensure the long-term survival of humanity by addressing challenges like dependence on fossil fuels, the risks posed by artificial intelligence, and expanding beyond Earth.

A FIGURE OF GLOBAL PROGRESS

Elon Musk has become a catalyst for transformation in sectors crucial to the future of humanity. Whether in private or public ventures, his involvement has the potential to accelerate major advancements in the environment, technology, and even the long-term survival of our species.

Elon Musk brings bold vision, innovative pragmatism, and a unique ability to turn ideas once considered impossible into reality.

In the history of great visionaries, few have had an impact that transcends the bound- aries of technological innovation to influence political and societal spheres. Elon Musk, an iconoclastic entrepreneur and architect of industrial revolutions, belongs to this rare elite that shapes the world on a global scale.

Through his iconic companies Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and X (formerly Twitter) he has not only redefined the collective imagination, but he now plays a strategic role in the new political dynamics embodied by Donald Trump.