Elon Musk is an inventor and the world’s richest businessman who started inventing things at the age of 12. Through his inventions, he has brought revolutionary changes to sectors ranging from automobiles to finance and space. Musk’s dream is to establish human colonies on Mars, and he is moving rapidly toward fulfilling this dream.
You might be wondering why we are sharing all this today. It is because today is Elon Musk’s birthday. He has turned 55. On this occasion, we are highlighting 3 of his major controversies and businesses.
1. Tesla: A Game-Changing Company in the Renewable Energy Industry
Tesla Inc. is a game-changing company in the renewable energy industry with its innovative technology. From electric vehicles to battery technology, solar energy, and energy storage, Tesla has developed several products that have helped steer the world toward a more sustainable future. Elon Musk established it in 2003. Today, the company’s market cap stands at ₹62 lakh crore. Musk is also planning to launch Tesla cars in India.
2. SpaceX: Revolutionizing the Space Sector with Reusable Rockets
Elon Musk founded SpaceX in 2002. SpaceX recently made history when the company launched the world’s biggest IPO. This even made the rocket boy world’s first trillionaire.
Earlier, SpaceX made history on May 31, 2020, when the company launched the world’s first private human spaceflight mission. Under this mission, two astronauts—Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley—went to space. They returned to Earth after spending about 63 days in space. By developing reusable rocket technology, Musk’s company has made satellite launches and other space missions much cheaper.
3. PayPal: Transforming the Fintech Sector
PayPal started in 1998 when Peter Thiel and three partners founded a company named Confinity. Users could transfer money using Confinity’s tablet-like device. In 2000, Musk merged it with his online banking company, X.com, and renamed it PayPal after some time. eBay acquired it in 2002 for $1.5 billion. In today’s terms, this amount is around ₹14,000 crore.
Three Major Controversies Involving Musk
1. Sexual Harassment Allegation
Last year, in 2022, a SpaceX flight attendant accused Elon Musk of sexual harassment. It was reported that SpaceX paid the flight attendant $250,000 (over ₹2 crore) to settle the matter. This sexual harassment case dates back to 2016, and the settlement amount was paid in 2018.
A report by Business Insider stated that the flight attendant worked on a contract basis for SpaceX’s corporate jet fleet. She alleged that Musk touched her leg without consent and asked her to engage in sexual acts.
2. Romance Clip with Johnny Depp’s Ex-Wife
A video of Amber Heard and Elon Musk went viral on social media. In this video, Amber and Elon could be seen together in the elevator of Johnny Depp’s penthouse. The two appeared to be quite romantic with each other. Amber Heard’s relationship with Elon Musk reportedly began after she divorced Johnny Depp. However, they separated later.
3. Smoking Weed and Drinking Whiskey During a Podcast
In 2018, Elon Musk smoked weed and drank whiskey during comedian Joe Rogan’s podcast. This sparked a massive controversy. Following this incident, a Tesla employee claimed they were fired from their job for using weed outside of work. Elon had to publicly apologise to everyone after this controversy.
Now, Musk’s Net Worth: Recently lost trillionaire status
The birthday boy recently lost trillionaire status. Forbes reports his net worth of $946.7 billion or ₹88.98 lakh crore.
The IPO driven surge in SpaceX’s shares led to such a massive increase in his net worth.
Born in South Africa: Musk’s Childhood
Born in South Africa on June 28, 1971, Elon Musk grew up in Pretoria. His mother is a Canadian-born South African model who was a finalist in the 1969 Miss South Africa pageant. His father, Errol Musk, is an engineer.
His parents separated in 1980. Musk earned his bachelor’s degrees in physics and business from the University of Pennsylvania in 1995. He is a dropout of the physics PhD program at Stanford University.
Leave a Reply