The Life of Billionaire Businessman Elon Musk
This article was originally published at Lizanest.com
Elon Musk’s life spans continents, industries, and controversies. Born in apartheid-era South Africa, he left home as a teenager and built a fortune in Silicon Valley before reinvesting it into rockets, electric cars, artificial intelligence, and global communications platforms. His career has included near-bankruptcies, regulatory battles, high-profile relationships, political clashes, and technological milestones. Over time, he evolved from startup founder to one of the most influential business leaders in the world. This timeline traces the defining moments that shaped his personal life, companies, and growing political presence.
#1: 1971 Birth of Elon Musk in Pretoria, South Africa
Elon Reeve Musk was born on June 28, 1971, in Pretoria, South Africa. His mother, Maye Musk, was a Canadian-born model and dietitian, and his father, Errol Musk, was a South African electromechanical engineer. He grew up in an upper-middle-class household during apartheid-era South Africa.
Pretoria in the 1970s was a politically charged environment shaped by racial segregation laws and social division. Musk’s early years unfolded within this complex national backdrop. He has dual citizenship through his Canadian mother, a fact that would later enable his relocation to North America.
#2: Childhood Assault and Bullying in Schools
During his childhood in Pretoria, Elon Musk was frequently bullied by classmates. He has stated that he was small for his age, socially withdrawn, and intensely focused on books and technology, which made him a target among peers in the rigid and often aggressive school environment.
In one widely reported incident, a group of boys pushed him down a flight of concrete stairs and beat him until he lost consciousness. He was hospitalized following the assault. Musk has said the experience required medical treatment and left physical and emotional effects during his early adolescence.
#3: He Teaches Himself Programming at Age 10
At age 10 in Pretoria, South Africa, Elon Musk gained access to a Commodore VIC-20 computer. Using a programming manual that came with the machine, he independently learned BASIC. He spent extended hours experimenting with code and studying how software instructions controlled digital systems.
Without formal classes or mentorship, he practiced by building simple programs and modifying sample code. This early self-directed technical education marked the beginning of his long engagement with software. Programming became a foundational skill that later influenced his entry into internet startups and technology ventures.
#4: He Sells Blastar Video Game at Age 12
At age 12 in 1983, Elon Musk created a simple space-themed video game called Blastar. He developed the game in BASIC and designed it around a science fiction storyline involving a spaceship destroying alien freighters carrying hydrogen bombs.
He sold the game’s source code to a South African computer magazine for approximately $500. The publication printed the code for readers to manually enter into their computers. The sale marked his first recorded commercial software transaction and early experience earning money through programming.