The Story of Elon Musk and Tesla: The Rise to the World's Richest Man

Elon Musk, the visionary entrepreneur born in South Africa in 1971, has become synonymous with technological innovation and boundless ambition. His story is inextricably intertwined with that of Tesla, the company that revolutionized the electric car industry and catapulted him to the top of the list of the world's richest men. Today, with an estimated net worth of over $700 billion, Musk is not just a billionaire, but a global icon who has challenged convention in fields such as sustainable energy, space exploration, and artificial intelligence. This rise has not been without obstacles: from humble beginnings to financial crisis, the trajectory of Musk and Tesla is a tale of resilience, genius, and controversy.

Elon Musk's Early Years

Elon Reeve Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa, to a family of mixed heritage: his father, Errol, was an engineer, and his mother, Maye, a Canadian model and nutritionist. From an early age, Musk showed an early interest in technology and science: at just 12, he created and sold a video game called Blastar. After his parents' divorce, he moved to Canada at age 17, where he studied physics and economics at the University of Pennsylvania in the United States.

His entrepreneurial career took off in the 1990s. In 1995, he founded Zip2, an online newspaper software company, which he sold for nearly $300 million in 1999. With the proceeds, he created X.com, an online payment service that merged with Confinity to become PayPal, which was acquired by eBay in 2002 for $1.5 billion. Musk earned around $180 million, which he invested in his subsequent ventures: SpaceX (2002) and Tesla (2004). These moves made him a pioneer in the tech sector, but it was with Tesla that his fortune exploded.

The Tesla Foundation and Musk's Entry

Tesla, Inc. was founded in July 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, two engineers with the vision of creating high-performance electric cars to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. The company was named after inventor Nikola Tesla, a symbol of electric innovation. Initially, Tesla focused on developing an electric sports car, but lacked substantial funding.

Elon Musk entered the scene in April 2004, investing $6.5 million in a Series A round and becoming chairman of the board. His influence grew rapidly: in 2008, after a series of delays and financial problems, Musk took over as CEO, replacing Ze'ev Drori. That same year, Tesla launched its first car, the Roadster, an electric sports car capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in under 4 seconds and with a range of over 300 km. It was a symbolic success, but the company was on the verge of bankruptcy due to the global financial crisis.

Challenges and Triumphs: From Survival to Global Expansion

The following years were turbulent. In 2010, Tesla became the first American automotive company to go public since 1956 (after Ford), raising $226 million. This capital fueled the development of the Model S, a luxury sedan launched in 2012, which won numerous awards for its design and performance. This was followed by the Model X (SUV, 2015) and the Model 3 (affordable car, 2017), which democratized the electric market with prices starting at $35,000.

However, Tesla faced "production hell": delivery delays, quality issues, and financial losses. In 2018, Musk tweeted that he wanted to delist Tesla at $420 per share, triggering an SEC investigation and a fine. Despite this, the company overcame the crises thanks to innovations such as Autopilot (a self-driving system), the Supercharger network, and Gigafactories (giant battery factories, the first opened in Nevada in 2016).

In the 2020s, Tesla exploded: the Model Y (2020), the Cybertruck (2023), and the Semi (an electric truck) consolidated its leadership in the EV sector. The pandemic accelerated the transition to electric vehicles, and Tesla reached a market capitalization of over $1 trillion in 2021. Musk diversified with acquisitions such as Twitter (renamed X in 2023) and founded xAI, but Tesla remained the driving force behind his wealth.

The Rise to World's Richest Man

Musk's fortune is primarily tied to Tesla shares, which represent about 70% of his net worth. In 2020, thanks to a boom in the stock price, he became the richest man in the world, surpassing Jeff Bezos. But it was in 2025 that he reached historic heights: in December, his net worth surpassed $600 billion, later hitting $700 billion, becoming the first person to reach that threshold. As of December 22, 2025, Forbes estimates his net worth at $749 billion, thanks to the rising value of Tesla, SpaceX, and other ventures.

This rise isn't just financial: Musk has influenced global policies, from energy sustainability to the colonization of Mars. However, controversy follows him, from accusations of market manipulation to ethical debates over AI. Despite it all, the story of Elon Musk and Tesla is a modern epic of how a bold idea can transform the world and create unimaginable wealth.