Big changes could be coming to Twitter after billionaire Tesla owner and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk bought the social media giant in a deal worth $44 billion.
Musk promises to bring "freedom of speech" to Twitter, and USA Today has a story about who Musk really is and what you need to know about the richest man on earth.
Who is Elon Musk?
Born in South Africa, Musk is a billionaire entrepreneur - the CEO of Tesla, the popular manufacturer of electric vehicles, and SpaceX, a company that develops spacecraft and space flights.
He made his early fortune by founding "PayPal" in 1999. The global online auction platform eBay bought the company in 2002 for $1,5 billion, and Musk reportedly earned $180 million from the deal, Time magazine reported.
Soon after, Musk founded "SpaceX", a company that cooperates with NASA in space missions. Musk's admirers herald him as a visionary pushing the world into the future. His ultimate goal with SpaceX is to make humanity "multiplanetary" by colonizing Mars, and another of his projects seeks to integrate a computer into the human brain.
Outside of his ambitious projects, Musk is almost as famous for his online persona. He is popular on Twitter, where he dabbles in politics, talks openly about business and embraces the mime culture of the internet, and some of his tweets have landed him in legal trouble.
How old is Elon Musk?
Musk was born on June 28, 1971. He is 50 years old.
Where is Mask from?
Musk grew up in Pretoria, one of the three capital cities of South Africa. His mother is a South African model born in Canada, and interestingly, she was a finalist in the 1969 Miss South Africa pageant. His father Erol is an engineer. His parents divorced in 1980.
Is Musk the richest man in the world?
In 2021, Musk surpassed Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to become the richest man in the world.
What is the net worth of Elon Musk?
Forbes estimates his net worth at $267,1 billion.
Is Elon Musk Married?
Musk was married to Canadian author Justine Wilson from 2000 to 2008. He was also married to English actress Tallulah Riley from 2010 to 2016. He has six children with his first and two children with his ex-girlfriend, singer Grimes.
What companies does Elon Mask own?
Musk founded or co-founded several large companies. The list includes Tesla, SpaceX, OpenAI, Neuralink, The Boring Company and Starlink.
Where did Elon Musk go to college?
Musk graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with degrees in physics and business in 1995. He dropped out of the physics PhD program at Stanford University.
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