Elon Musk: Tech Mogul, Father of 11, and His Role in DOGE

Elon Musk is one of the most iconic and polarizing figures of the 21st century. Entrepreneur, inventor, and engineer, Musk has reshaped industries from electric vehicles to space exploration, social media, and artificial intelligence. His bold vision and relentless ambition have made him a global figure whose influence reaches far beyond Silicon Valley.

Elon Musk Biography

Elon Musk

Elon Reeve Musk was born on June 28, 1971, in Pretoria, South Africa. From an early age, Musk showed a keen interest in technology, teaching himself computer programming by the age of 12. His childhood was marked by curiosity, intelligence, and a drive to understand how things work.

After moving to the U.S. via Canada, Musk earned degrees in physics and economics at the University of Pennsylvania. Though accepted into a Ph.D. program at Stanford, he dropped out after two days to pursue the booming tech scene of the mid-1990s—and never looked back.

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Career

Elon Musk’s career is a timeline of disruptive innovation. His first major success came with Zip2, a city guide software company, which was sold to Compaq for nearly $300 million in 1999.

He then co-founded X.com, which later became PayPal, revolutionizing online payments. When PayPal was acquired by eBay for $1.5 billion in 2002, Musk walked away with over $150 million.

Instead of retiring, Musk doubled down on risk, pouring his fortune into radically ambitious ventures—most of which were dismissed as impossible at the time.

Elon Musk Businesses

Elon Musk's SpaceX programme

Elon Musk businesses span multiple sectors, with each aiming to solve enormous global problems:

  • Tesla, Inc. – Pioneering electric vehicles, autonomous driving, and energy storage
  • SpaceX – Making space travel more affordable and planning for Mars colonization
  • Neuralink – Developing brain-machine interfaces
  • The Boring Company – Innovating in underground transportation infrastructure
  • X (formerly Twitter) – Aiming to transform social media into a multi-use “everything app”
  • OpenAI – Co-founded in 2015 to ensure beneficial artificial intelligence
  • SolarCity (now part of Tesla) – Promoting solar energy solutions

Each of these ventures reflects Musk’s intense focus on long-term, planet-scale solutions.

Elon Musk Net Worth

As of 2025, Elon Musk’s net worth is estimated to exceed $ 342 billion, making him one of the richest people in the world. His wealth is largely tied to his holdings in Tesla and SpaceX, both of which have seen meteoric valuations.

Though he has sold off parts of his Tesla stock and invested in ventures like Twitter/X, Musk claims to maintain a “cash-poor” lifestyle compared to most billionaires, preferring to reinvest in technology and infrastructure.

Elon Musk Politics

Elon Musk’s political engagement has evolved significantly over the years, reflecting his multifaceted interests and influence. While initially known for his entrepreneurial ventures, Musk’s foray into politics has garnered substantial attention.

Elon Musk and Donald Trump

Elon Musk and Donald Trump

In 2025, under President Donald Trump’s administration, Elon Musk was appointed as the de facto head of the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). This department was created with the aim of streamlining federal operations, reducing government spending, and enhancing efficiency across various agencies.

Under Musk’s leadership, DOGE implemented aggressive cost-cutting measures, including the termination of numerous federal contracts and grants, which reportedly led to significant savings. However, these actions also sparked controversy, with critics arguing that the cuts adversely affected essential services and led to substantial job losses.

Controversies and Criticisms

Musk’s tenure at DOGE was marked by several contentious decisions. Notably, the deployment of his AI chatbot, Grok, within federal agencies raised ethical and legal concerns regarding data privacy and potential conflicts of interest. Additionally, his close association with President Trump and involvement in partisan activities led to a decline in public approval ratings and criticism from both political allies and opponents.

Scaling Back Political Involvement

Facing mounting criticism and a decline in the public perception of his companies, particularly Tesla, Musk announced plans to reduce his political engagements. He stated his intention to step back from his role at DOGE and focus more on his business ventures. Despite this announcement, Musk continues to maintain a presence in Washington, attending meetings and offering advice on technological matters.

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Family

Elon Musk and his family

Elon Musk’s family has been influential in shaping his worldview. His mother, Maye Musk, is a Canadian-South African model and dietitian, while his father, Errol Musk, was an engineer. Elon has two younger siblings—Kimbal Musk, a restaurateur and environmentalist, and Tosca Musk, a filmmaker.

Though Musk’s relationship with his father has been strained, his siblings remain active in their respective fields and occasionally collaborate with him on various initiatives.

Elon Musk Children

Elon Musk has 11 known children with multiple partners, including musician Grimes and Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis. Some of their names include:

  • Nevada Alexander Musk (deceased)
  • Griffin and Vivian Musk (twins)
  • Kai, Saxon, and Damian Musk (triplets)
  • X Æ A-12, Exa Dark Sideræl, and twins born with Zilis

Musk has spoken openly about the declining birthrate crisis and his personal commitment to fathering children, although he generally keeps their lives private.

Elon Musk Age

As of 2025, Elon Musk is 53 years old. Despite being in his early fifties, Musk maintains the energy and pace of a startup founder half his age. He continues to work long hours and push technological boundaries, often dividing time between Tesla, SpaceX, and his other enterprises.

Elon Musk Now

Elon Musk holding hands

Elon Musk now remains at the center of global innovation. As the CEO of multiple major companies, he influences everything from how we commute to how we communicate. His purchase and rebranding of Twitter to X stirred widespread debate and signaled a broader ambition to create a universal digital platform.

Whether it’s advancing space colonization through Starship, building humanoid robots, or engineering digital-brain interfaces, Musk shows no signs of slowing down. His ability to shape the future—and stir controversy—keeps the world watching.

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