People search for Elon Musk Wikipedia when they want the quick facts about one of the most talked about men on Earth. This page gives you those facts in plain words, from his birth in South Africa to his net worth and the latest news as of October 21, 2026. Each detail was checked against current sources, so you can read with confidence.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Elon Reeve Musk |
| Date of Birth | June 28, 1971 |
| Age | 55 years |
| Birthplace | Pretoria, South Africa |
| Citizenship | South Africa, Canada and the United States |
| Known For | Tesla, SpaceX, X and xAI |
| Net Worth | About $1.1 trillion (Forbes, October 6, 2026) |
Who Is Elon Musk and Why It Matters
Elon Musk is a businessman and engineer who leads Tesla and SpaceX. He is the biggest shareholder in both companies. He bought Twitter in 2022 and renamed it X in 2023. He also started the artificial intelligence company xAI, which became part of SpaceX in 2026. Many people know him as the man behind electric cars, reusable rockets and Starlink internet from space.
He matters because his choices move money, science and politics. When he posts, stocks can shift. When his companies launch something new, the world watches. That is why people keep checking facts about him, and why a clear summary helps.
Elon Musk Current Status as of October 21, 2026
Here is where things stand right now.
Elon Musk Wikipedia Facts: What to Know
Early Life and Family Background
Elon was born in Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa. He has a younger brother, Kimbal, a younger sister, Tosca, and four half siblings on his father’s side. His parents divorced in 1979, and at about age nine he chose to live with his father. At age ten he taught himself to code from a computer manual. At twelve he sold a video game he made, called Blastar, for about $500.
Career
His path went from small web firms to space rockets, cars and AI. Here are the key steps.
| Year | What Happened |
|---|---|
| 1995 | Started Zip2 with his brother Kimbal. Compaq bought it in 1999 for $307 million. |
| 1999 to 2002 | Started X.com, which joined with Confinity to become PayPal. eBay bought PayPal in 2002 for $1.5 billion. |
| 2002 | Founded SpaceX and became its CEO and chief engineer. |
| 2004 and 2008 | Invested in Tesla in 2004 and became its CEO in 2008. |
| 2015 to 2017 | Helped start OpenAI (he left its board in 2018), Neuralink and The Boring Company. |
| 2022 and 2023 | Bought Twitter on October 27, 2022, renamed it X in 2023, and launched xAI in July 2023. |
| 2025 | Led the Department of Government Efficiency until May 28, 2025. |
| 2026 | SpaceX went public on June 12, 2026, after absorbing xAI. |
Courts have also been part of his year. On March 20, 2026, a San Francisco jury found he misled investors in two tweets during the Twitter purchase. On May 18, 2026, an Oakland jury ruled for OpenAI after Musk sued it, finding his claims were filed too late.
Age
Elon Musk was born on June 28, 1971, which makes him 55 years old today.
Religion
He was baptized as a child in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. Today he describes himself as a cultural Christian.
Wife, Partner and Children
He has been married three times, twice to the same woman. He married Justine Wilson in 2000 and they divorced in 2008. He married actress Talulah Riley in 2010, divorced in 2012, remarried her in 2013 and divorced again in 2016. He dated musician Grimes from 2018 to 2021. In July 2026 he described Shivon Zilis, a Neuralink executive, as his partner.
Reports count at least 14 children. He had six with Justine, including a first son, Nevada, who died as a baby in 2002. He has three with Grimes and four with Shivon Zilis. The media counts a 14th child after Ashley St. Clair said in 2025 that her son is his.
Net Worth
Most of his money sits in company shares, mainly about 42% of SpaceX and about 20% of Tesla. That is why his wealth jumps up and down with stock prices. After the SpaceX share sale, it hit an intraday peak near $1.45 trillion, then fell by about $750 billion by late July 2026. It later climbed back above $1 trillion.
| When | Net Worth (Forbes) |
|---|---|
| 2012 | $2 billion (first listed) |
| 2021 | $300 billion |
| December 2024 | $400 billion |
| October 2025 | $500 billion |
| February 2026 | $800 billion |
| June 2026 | $900 billion, then over $1 trillion at the SpaceX share sale |
| October 2026 | About $1.1 trillion |
Tesla shareholders also approved a pay package worth up to $1 trillion in November 2025. He only earns it if Tesla hits large goals over ten years.
Parents
His father, Errol Musk, is a South African engineer, pilot and property developer. His mother, Maye Musk, is a model and dietitian. She was born in Saskatchewan, Canada, and raised in South Africa.
Height
Most websites list his height as about 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm), though a few say 6 feet 1 inch. He has not shared an official measurement, so treat this as an estimate.
Education
He went to Waterkloof House Preparatory School, Bryanston High School and then Pretoria Boys High School, where he graduated. He spent five months at the University of Pretoria, then moved to Canada and entered Queen’s University in 1990. Two years later he moved to the University of Pennsylvania. He earned two bachelor’s degrees there in 1997, in physics and in economics. He was accepted into a Stanford program in 1995 but did not enroll.
State of Origin
He comes from Pretoria, South Africa. He holds South African and Canadian citizenship from birth, and he became a United States citizen in 2002. He lived in California until late 2020, then moved to Cameron County, Texas.
Social Media Link
Follow him on X: @elonmusk
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Elon Musk?
Elon Musk is 55 years old. He was born on June 28, 1971, in Pretoria, South Africa.
What is Elon Musk’s net worth in 2026?
As of October 6, 2026, Forbes listed it at about $1.1 trillion and Bloomberg at about $1.04 trillion. The number changes daily because most of it is company stock.
Who is Elon Musk’s wife?
No current wife is listed. He was married to Justine Wilson from 2000 to 2008 and to Talulah Riley twice, with the last divorce in 2016. In July 2026 he called Shivon Zilis his partner.
How many children does Elon Musk have?
Reports count at least 14 children, and one of them died as an infant in 2002. The true number may be higher, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Which companies does Elon Musk lead?
He is CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. He also started xAI, now part of SpaceX, plus Neuralink and The Boring Company. He bought Twitter in 2022 and changed its name to X.
Where did Elon Musk go to college?
He studied at the University of Pretoria, Queen’s University in Canada and the University of Pennsylvania. He earned his degrees at Pennsylvania in 1997.
Is Elon Musk the richest person in the world?
Yes. Forbes and Bloomberg both rank him first as of October 2026. He is the only person ever to pass $1 trillion in US dollars.
Final Word
Elon Musk went from a boy selling a small video game in Pretoria to the head of companies that build cars, rockets and AI. His wealth is now over a trillion dollars, mostly in stock, and it moves with every swing in SpaceX and Tesla shares.
His story is not all praise. He faces lawsuits, fierce debate over his politics and questions about his decisions in places like Ukraine. Fans and critics both agree on one thing: few people shape the news as often as he does.
Bookmark this page, because the facts about him change fast. A merger of Tesla and SpaceX is under discussion, and his giving plan is still missing details. Check back for updates as these stories grow.
