Elon Musk

Tesla CEO; SpaceX founder

Elon Musk’s career spans internet payments, electric vehicles, reusable rockets and artificial intelligence.

Get AI Secret’s free daily briefing, including Elon Musk and the wider AI industry.

Photo: Debbie Rowe; required attribution: The Royal SocietyCC BY-SA 3.0 · Displayed in grayscale

At a glance

Elon Musk’s career spans internet payments, electric vehicles, reusable rockets and artificial intelligence. After Zip2 and X.com, he founded SpaceX and joined Tesla as an early investor and board member. His ventures also include Neuralink and The Boring Company.

Current role: Tesla CEO; SpaceX founder
Born: 28 June 1971
Education: University of Pennsylvania — economics and physics
Known for: Tesla; SpaceX; X.com; Neuralink
Previously: Zip2 co-founder; PayPal predecessor X.com founder
Coverage: Vehicles; rockets; AI; robotics

Sources checked 16 October 2026. Selected career milestones and biographical references.

Career, in context.

Selected milestones, newest first. Explore earlier career below.

2022
Acquires Twitter
Musk completes the acquisition of the social network, later renamed X.
Source: Wikipedia
2020
SpaceX launches its first astronauts
Crew Dragon’s Demo-2 mission carries NASA astronauts into orbit under his company’s leadership.
Source: NASA

Show earlier careerHide earlier career · 5 milestones

More than 10 years ago.

2008
Becomes Tesla CEO
He takes the chief executive role after initially joining as an investor and chairman.
Source: Tesla
2004
Joins Tesla’s board
His involvement with the electric-vehicle company begins as an early investor and director.
Source: Tesla
2002
Founds SpaceX
He establishes SpaceX to develop launch vehicles and spacecraft.
Source: Tesla
1999
Co-founds X.com
The online financial-services venture later becomes part of PayPal.
Source: Wikipedia
1995
Co-founds Zip2
His first major startup develops online city guides and publishing software.
Source: Wikipedia

The latest on Elon Musk

Newest first

Sep 16, 2026 · 7 min read · Members

The AI King Needs No Guardrails

Plus: Nobody Runs the Flagships, Even China Calls Their Bluff

Read the story

Sep 15, 20261 min read · Members

Cathie Wood Finds Upside in AI Doom

Cathie Wood calls the AI slowdown pledge good publicity that boosts demand for models, while laughing off an extinction warning from inside her own holdings.