This Elon Musk biography tells you who he is, where he comes from, what he has built and where he stands today. You will find his age, parents, education, wife history, height and net worth in one easy place. Ready to meet the man behind Tesla, SpaceX and X?
Who Is Elon Musk and Why Does He Matter?
Elon Reeve Musk is a businessman and engineer. He leads Tesla, the electric car maker, and SpaceX, the rocket company. He also owns the social platform X, which used to be called Twitter, and he started the artificial intelligence company xAI.
Think of Musk like a builder who keeps opening new doors. One door leads to cars, another to rockets, another to brain chips and another to online talk. Whether people love him or argue with him, they all watch what he does next. That is why this Elon Musk biography is one of the most searched life stories online.
| Quick Facts | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Elon Reeve Musk |
| Date of Birth | June 28, 1971 |
| Birthplace | Pretoria, South Africa |
| Age | 55 years (as of October 21, 2026) |
| Height | About 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
| Known For | Tesla, SpaceX, X, Neuralink, xAI |
| Citizenship | United States, Canada and South Africa |
Elon Musk Current Status (October 21, 2026)
Musk is still the chief executive of Tesla and still leads SpaceX. In 2026, SpaceX joined with xAI, and SpaceX went public on June 12, 2026. After that listing, Musk became the first person ever reported to be worth more than one trillion dollars. His wealth has gone up and down since then, and reports say it climbed back above one trillion dollars in October 2026.
In 2025, he also worked with the United States government on the Department of Government Efficiency and stepped away from that role in May 2025. Today, his main focus is on his companies.
Early Life and Family Background
Elon grew up in Pretoria with his brother Kimbal and sister Tosca. He was a quiet boy who loved books, computers and science fiction. He taught himself to code and, at about age 12, sold a simple video game called Blastar for around 500 dollars. Imagine a kid turning a bedroom hobby into his first paycheck. That was Elon.
Parents
His father is Errol Musk, a South African engineer. His mother is Maye Musk, a model and dietitian who was born in Canada and raised in South Africa. His parents split up when he was young. Maye has become well known in her own right as a model and author, and she often appears at public events with her children.
State of Origin
Musk is not from a United States state. He was born in Pretoria, which sits in Gauteng Province, South Africa. At 17, in 1989, he moved to Canada, where his mother’s family had roots. Later he moved to the United States, which became his long term home and the base of his companies.
Education
Musk went to Pretoria Boys High School. After moving to Canada, he studied at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, for two years. He then moved to the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned two bachelor’s degrees, one in economics and one in physics. He started a PhD program at Stanford University in 1995 but left almost at once to start his first company.
Career
Here is the path that made him famous, step by step:
- Zip2 (1995): He and Kimbal built an online city guide for newspapers. Compaq bought it in 1999.
- X.com and PayPal (1999 to 2002): He started an online bank that grew into PayPal. eBay bought PayPal in 2002.
- SpaceX (2002): He founded the rocket company to lower the cost of space travel. Its Falcon 1 rocket reached orbit in 2008.
- Tesla (2004 onward): He joined as an early investor and chairman, then became chief executive in 2008.
- Neuralink and The Boring Company (2016): Neuralink works on brain computer devices. The Boring Company digs tunnels.
- Twitter and X (2022 onward): He bought Twitter for 44 billion dollars and later renamed it X.
- xAI (2023): He launched an artificial intelligence company.
Age and Height
Musk was born on June 28, 1971, so he is 55 years old as of October 21, 2026. His height is widely reported as about 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm). Official height numbers for public figures are rarely measured in public, so treat this as a common estimate.
Religion
Musk has not publicly joined any organized religion. He talks more about science, space and the future than about faith. If you want his own view, his interviews and posts are the best place to look, since he has described his thinking in different ways over the years.
Wife and Children
Musk has been married more than once. His first wife was author Justine Wilson, and they married in 2000 and divorced in 2008. He then married actress Talulah Riley in 2010. They divorced in 2012, married again in 2013 and divorced a second time in 2016. He also had a well known relationship with the musician Grimes. As far as public reports show, he is not currently listed as married.
Net Worth
Musk’s fortune is mostly stock, not cash. His shares in Tesla and SpaceX carry most of the value. Net worth is like a score in a game that changes every minute, because share prices move all day. A few key moments help explain the story:
- He passed 300 billion dollars in 2021 and 400 billion dollars in December 2024.
- He passed 500 billion dollars in October 2025.
- After the SpaceX listing in June 2026, he passed one trillion dollars. A later fall in SpaceX shares cut that figure sharply in July 2026.
Social Media Links
Follow him on his official profiles:
- X: x.com/elonmusk
- Instagram: instagram.com/elonmusk
FAQ
How old is Elon Musk?
Elon Musk is 55 years old as of October 21, 2026. He was born on June 28, 1971.
Where was Elon Musk born?
He was born in Pretoria, South Africa, in Gauteng Province. He later lived in Canada and then moved to the United States.
What companies does Elon Musk run?
He leads Tesla and SpaceX, and he owns X. He also started Neuralink, The Boring Company and xAI.
What is Elon Musk’s net worth?
His net worth moves with share prices. Reports in October 2026 put it above one trillion dollars again, but different trackers give different totals.
Who are Elon Musk’s parents?
His parents are Errol Musk, an engineer, and Maye Musk, a model and dietitian. He has a brother, Kimbal, and a sister, Tosca.
Did Elon Musk finish college?
Yes. He earned two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, in economics and physics. He left a Stanford PhD program very early.
Final Word
This Elon Musk biography shows a boy from Pretoria who turned code, curiosity and big risks into some of the best known companies on Earth. His story is full of wins, setbacks and loud opinions.
Love him or not, his path teaches one clear lesson: small starts can grow when you keep trying. Bookmark this page, because we update his story as new facts come in.
