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 Elon Musk is a South African-born American entrepreneur, inventor, and business magnate. He is the founder, CEO, and chief engineer/designer of SpaceX; early investor, CEO, and product architect of Tesla, Inc.; and founder of The Boring Company. He was also co-founder and initial co-chairman of OpenAI, a nonprofit research company that promotes friendly artificial intelligence.

Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa in 1971. He attended Pretoria Boys High School and later moved to Canada aged 17 to attend Queen’s University. He transferred to the University of Pennsylvania two years later, where he received dual bachelor’s degrees in economics and physics. He moved on to Stanford University in 1995 but decided instead to pursue a business career, co-founding web software company Zip2 with his brother, which provided online business directories and maps to newspapers. Compaq acquired Zip2 for almost $300 million in 1999. 

After the sale of Zip2, Musk co-founded X.com, an online payment company. The company evolved into PayPal and was eventually purchased by eBay for $1.5 billion in 2002.

In 2004, Musk founded SpaceX, an aerospace manufacturer, and space transport services company, of which he is CEO, lead designer, and engineer. In 2006, he helped create SolarCity, a solar energy services company. In 2015, he co-founded OpenAI, a nonprofit research company that promotes friendly artificial intelligence. In addition, he co-founded Neuralink, a neurotechnology company focused on developing brain–computer interfaces and founded The Boring Company, a tunnel construction company in 2016.

In 2004, Musk joined the board of directors of Tesla, Inc., an electric vehicle and clean energy company, becoming its largest investor. He took on the role of product architect and later became its CEO. Under Musk, Tesla has become the world’s best-selling plug-in and battery electric car manufacturer.

Musk has stated that the goals of his companies revolve around his vision to help reduce global warming and help make life multi-planetary by setting up a human colony on Mars.

Musk has also gained attention for his ambitious and sometimes controversial projects, such as the Hyperloop, a high-speed vactrain transportation system, and the Boring Company, which aims to construct a network of tunnels for the rapid transportation of vehicles and people.

Musk has also been a vocal advocate for the development of sustainable energy and has proposed the “Mars colonization plan” which involves sending humans to live on Mars and eventually making it a self-sustaining planet.

Despite his successes, Musk has also faced controversies and criticism over his management style, production delays, and his public statements. He has been subject to numerous lawsuits and regulatory investigations. Despite these challenges, Musk’s companies have continued to grow and innovate. In 2008, SpaceX became the first privately-funded company to send a spacecraft to the International Space Station, and in 2012, the company successfully launched and landed its reusable Falcon 9 rocket. In 2020, SpaceX successfully launched and landed its Starship, a fully reusable spacecraft, which could potentially transport humans to Mars.

Tesla, under Musk’s leadership, has also seen tremendous growth and success. The company has disrupted the automotive industry with its electric vehicles and has become a leader in the development of sustainable energy solutions. In 2020, Tesla became the most valuable car company in the world, surpassing major automakers such as Toyota and General Motors.

In addition to his work with SpaceX and Tesla, Musk has also made significant investments in other companies and ventures, including SolarCity, a solar energy services company, and OpenAI, a nonprofit research company that promotes friendly artificial intelligence.

As of today, Musk continues to push the boundaries of technology and innovation, inspiring many and leaving an undeniable impact on various industries. His story is a living example of how an individual with a vision and determination can change the course of history.