50+ Fascinating Facts About Elon Musk You Probably Didn’t Know

Elon Musk has never been one to fly under the radar. As the mind behind Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and even PayPal, his name often conjures images of futuristic technology and bold, sometimes wild, aspirations. But behind the headlines, there’s a trove of curious, lesser-known details that make Musk all the more fascinating.

Here are 50 facts you might not know about Elon Musk that help illustrate why he’s one of the most innovative and controversial figures of our time.

Early Life and Career

1. Video Game Developer at Age 12: Musk created and sold his first video game, Blastar, at the age of 12 for $500.
2. Zip2: His First Startup: Musk’s first major business venture, Zip2, provided city guides to newspapers. It sold to Compaq for $307 million in 1999.
3. Dropped Out of Stanford: After two days in a Ph.D. program at Stanford, Musk dropped out, feeling the internet boom was too big of an opportunity to miss.
4. Wanted to Open an Arcade: At 16, Musk and his brother tried to open an arcade, but the city denied their permit because they were too young.

Photo via Tatler // A young Elon Musk at university.

Tesla and SpaceX

5. Risked Personal Bankruptcy: Musk was so determined to keep Tesla and SpaceX alive that he poured all his personal wealth into the companies, even risking bankruptcy in 2008.
6. SpaceX Reduced Launch Costs by 90%: SpaceX rockets now cost 90% less to launch than previous NASA missions, from $1 billion to $60 million per launch.
7. Created Tesla's Insane Mode: Tesla’s "Insane Mode" allows the car to go from 0 to 60 mph in just over 2 seconds, faster than many sports cars.
8. First Privately Funded Rocket to Reach Orbit: In 2008, SpaceX's Falcon 1 became the first privately funded rocket to reach Earth’s orbit.

Photo via Elon Musk // The Tesla and SpaceX logos.

Innovation and Vision

9. Invented the Hyperloop: Musk conceptualized the Hyperloop, a transportation system that could theoretically transport people between Los Angeles and San Francisco in just 30 minutes.
10. Dreams of Colonizing Mars: Musk’s long-term vision is to colonize Mars, believing it’s essential for humanity’s survival as an "insurance policy" for Earth’s eventual extinction.
11. Plans for a Mars Economy: Musk imagines a Martian economy where cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin could be the basis of transactions.
12. The SolarCity Merger: Musk acquired SolarCity, a company founded by his cousins, merging it into Tesla to form a single renewable energy powerhouse.
13. A Vehicle Without a Steering Wheel: Elon Musk, and his company Tesla Motors, recently broke the internet with the unveiling of their newest electric vehicle model, the fully autonomous $30,000 "Cybercab" or "Robotaxi." What left viewers stunned was the fact that this vehicle does not have a steering wheel or pedals.

Photo via Tesla Motors // The Cybercab, a fully autonomous vehicle in a shade of gold, was recently unveiled at a secretive launch event held at a movie set in Burbank, California.

Quirky Personal Facts

14. Bought James Bond’s Submarine Car: Musk purchased the submarine car from the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me for $1 million—and plans to make it functional.
15. Named His Son After X-Men: One of his sons, Xavier, was named after Professor Xavier from X-Men.
16. Crashed His McLaren F1: After selling Zip2, Musk bought a McLaren F1 supercar but crashed it while showing it off to an investor.
17. Created a Flame Thrower: Through his tunneling company, The Boring Company, Musk sold 20,000 flame throwers, humorously labeled “Not A Flamethrower” to get through customs.
18. Sleeps Only 6 Hours a Day: Musk has said he sleeps around six hours a night, sometimes on a couch or even under his desk at SpaceX.
19. Named Tesla’s Assembly Robots: Tesla's production robots are named after X-Men characters, including Xavier, Wolverine, and Cyclops.
20. Loves Sci-Fi: Musk has often cited The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy as his favorite book, shaping his views on technology and exploration.
21. Once Worked for a Lumber Mill: Musk once had a job shoveling dirt in a lumber mill for just $18 an hour in Vancouver.

Photo via KREX // A photo of Elon Musk in 2024.

Family and Relationships

22. Fathered Twins and Triplets: Musk has fathered six children, including twins and triplets.
23. Had a Tumultuous Relationship with His Father: Musk has called his father, Errol Musk, "evil" and claims he was involved in various crimes.
24. Friends with Larry Page: Musk is close friends with Google co-founder Larry Page, who’s hosted Musk in his home numerous times.
25. Has a Child Named X Æ A-XII: His son with singer Grimes is famously named X Æ A-XII, which he says is pronounced "X Ash A Twelve."

Photo via New York Daily News // Errol Musk, Elon's father (left), and Elon Musk (right).

Business Strategies and Policies

26. Zero Marketing for Tesla: Until 2023, Tesla had virtually no marketing or advertising strategy—relying solely on word-of-mouth and Musk’s Twitter presence.
27. Wanted to Open a Roller Coaster in Tesla’s Factory: Musk once suggested building a roller coaster inside Tesla’s Fremont factory to make factory tours more exciting.
28. No Meetings Fridays: Musk instituted a rule at Tesla and SpaceX to have no meetings on Fridays to give people uninterrupted time to work.
29. Once Fired an Assistant on the Spot: After a personal assistant asked for a significant raise, Musk tested her by having her take a two-week leave and deciding her fate based on whether her absence affected productivity. She never returned.
30. Invested His Own Money in SpaceX: When funding for SpaceX dried up, Musk invested his own money to keep the company afloat, eventually leading to a NASA contract.

Photo via Tesla.com // All of the Tesla vehicles currently on the market in 2024. Cybercab, Tesla's robotaxi, and Robovan are not available to consumers yet, and are likely 2 years away.

Pop Culture Influence

31. Inspired Tony Stark in Iron Man: Robert Downey Jr. modeled his portrayal of Tony Stark on Musk, who even had a cameo in Iron Man 2.
32. Cameo in The Big Bang Theory: Musk made a cameo appearance on The Big Bang Theory, volunteering at a soup kitchen.
33. Elon Tusk on Rick and Morty: Musk voiced a character called “Elon Tusk” in an episode of Rick and Morty.
34. Loves First-Person Shooter Games: Musk is a fan of games like Bioshock, Fallout, and Mass Effect.

Photo via Paramount Pictures // Elon Musk's cameo in Iron Man 2, where he briefly spoke to Tony Stark about his ideas for an "electric rocket."

Unique Business Decisions

35. Canceled a Tesla Preorder After a Critique: When venture capitalist Stewart Alsop criticized Tesla’s Model X event, Musk personally canceled his order.
36. Banned from Buying Twitter Followers: Musk has publicly criticized and called out people for buying Twitter followers, leading to many assuming he never would. Turns out, he didn't.
37. Developed SpaceX’s Starship as Fully Reusable: Musk’s vision for the Starship rocket involves a fully reusable spacecraft that can carry people to the moon, Mars, and beyond.
38. Removed Stock Options as a Punishment: Musk once threatened Tesla workers with the loss of stock options if they attempted to unionize.

Controversies and Legal Issues

39. SEC Fine for ‘420’ Tweet: Musk famously tweeted that he was considering taking Tesla private at $420 per share, resulting in a $20 million fine from the SEC.
40. Smoked Weed on Joe Rogan’s Podcast: Musk smoked marijuana during an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, causing Tesla’s stock to briefly dip.
41. Bribed Russian Officials: Musk once admitted to bribing Russian officials while attempting to buy rockets for SpaceX’s early days.
42. Vowed to Donate $6 Billion to End World Hunger: Musk publicly offered to donate $6 billion to the UN World Food Programme but didn’t follow through after outlining the requirements on Twitter.
43. Has a Strict No-Assholes Hiring Policy: At both Tesla and SpaceX, Musk has implemented a strict no-assholes rule for hiring new employees.

Future Aspirations and Plans

44. Wants to Die on Mars: Musk has expressed his wish to die on Mars—but "not on impact."
45. Plans to Build a Martian City: He envisions building a self-sustaining city on Mars by 2050, where people could live and thrive.
46. Prefers Sci-Fi Over Politics: Musk once said he’s not interested in running for political office but is deeply inspired by science fiction’s portrayal of the future.

Lesser-Known Personal Tidbits

47. Eats Lunch in 5 Minutes: Musk often eats meals in under five minutes, usually during meetings.
48. Doesn’t Enjoy Alcohol: Despite being a whiskey fan now, Musk has mentioned that he didn’t enjoy the taste of alcohol when he was in college.
49. Attends Burning Man: Musk is a regular attendee of the Burning Man festival, where he enjoys the experimental and free-spirited environment.
50. Wants to Live by the First Principles of Physics: Musk often talks about how he uses the first principles of physics to guide his decisions, whether in business or science.
51. Once Lived in a Tiny House: Musk sold most of his properties and lived in a $50,000 prefabricated tiny house near SpaceX’s headquarters in Texas to stay close to his work.

Elon’s Larger-Than-Life Legacy

Musk’s legacy is built on taking risks and aiming for the stars—literally. Whether it’s sending a Tesla Roadster into space or developing AI to protect humanity, his projects push the boundaries of what seems possible. His relentless ambition, paired with his quirky personality and numerous controversies, makes him one of the most polarizing figures in modern times.

The eccentric billionaire’s vision of a future where humanity thrives on multiple planets is not just a science fiction dream—it’s a reality Musk is determined to create. And while his methods may not always be conventional, there’s no denying that Musk is reshaping our understanding of technology, exploration, and what’s possible when someone refuses to play by the rules.

From his early Zip2 days to his audacious Mars plans, Elon Musk remains an enigma—equal parts genius, risk-taker, and showman.

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