Elon Musk, a South African-born American entrepreneur and CEO, emerged as one of the most influential figures in 21st-century business. Elon Musk’s journey began in Pretoria, where he was born and raised, showing an early fascination with computers and electronics. By the time he was just 12 years old, Elon Musk had already taught himself computer programming—a skill that was still quite novel at the time—and even created a basic video game, showcasing his natural talent for technology. This passion for innovation led him to pursue degrees in physics and science at the University of Pennsylvania, where Elon Musk earned multiple undergraduate diplomas.
Despite being accepted into Stanford’s PhD program, Elon Musk made a bold decision—after only a few days, he dropped out to chase his entrepreneurial dreams. In 1995, Elon Musk and his brother Kimbal launched Zip2, a web software company that quickly gained traction. The venture proved highly successful, and when Compaq acquired it in 1999, both brothers became millionaires overnight. While many might have slowed down after such a win, Elon Musk wasn’t done—not by a long shot.
He immediately jumped into his next big idea: co-founding PayPal, an online payment platform that revolutionized digital transactions. PayPal grew rapidly into a global powerhouse and was eventually bought by eBay for over a billion dollars. After leaving PayPal in 2002, Elon Musk turned his attention toward even more ambitious goals. That same year, he founded SpaceX with a vision that sounded like science fiction—to make space travel commercially viable and ultimately establish a human colony on Mars.
But Elon Musk didn’t stop there. Always pushing boundaries, he also co-founded Tesla Motors, aiming to transform the auto industry with electric vehicles. The road wasn’t easy—Tesla faced major hurdles, especially during the 2008 financial crisis—but under Elon Musk’s relentless leadership, the company persevered. His determination paid off when Tesla posted its first profit in 2013. Then came the launch of the Model 3 in March 2016, which drew massive public interest: within days, more than 300,000 people reserved a unit, making it one of the most impressive product rollouts in modern history.
In the same year, Elon Musk announced SpaceX’s plan to begin Mars colonization efforts by 2024—yet another bold step in his mission to make humanity interplanetary. Not one to slow down, in 2017 Elon Musk introduced conceptual designs for the Hyperloop, a futuristic high-speed transportation system capable of moving passengers between cities like New York and Washington, D.C., in under an hour.
During this time, Elon Musk also gained attention beyond his professional achievements. His personal life, including high-profile relationships with actress Amber Heard and musician Grimes, kept him in the public eye. That same year, Elon Musk made a cameo on the popular CBS show Young Sheldon, playing himself in an episode that humorously suggested he got the idea for landing a SpaceX rocket from a young Sheldon Cooper’s notebook—a playful nod to his real-world accomplishments in 2016.
Throughout it all, Elon Musk has remained a defining force in tech, energy, and space exploration—constantly challenging what’s possible and redefining the future, one innovation at a time.
When it comes to Elon Musk’s taste in films, there’s quite a range—but if you look at the ratings, it seems Elon Musk really resonates with documentaries that dive into technology and the future. The highest rated movie associated with Elon Musk is Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World (2016), a thought-provoking exploration of the digital age that aligns closely with Elon Musk’s visionary outlook. On the other end of the spectrum, the lowest rated film linked to Elon Musk is Machete Kills (2013), an over-the-top action flick that clearly doesn’t strike the same chord. It makes sense, considering Elon Musk tends to favor content with depth and insight over pure spectacle. So while Elon Musk might enjoy a good sci-fi or tech-themed story, something like Machete Kills just doesn’t seem to be up Elon Musk’s alley.