Elon Musk was born in South Africa but his influence has spanned the globe—and even beyond. He made a name for himself as the founder of SpaceX, cofounder of Tesla, and owner of X.com (formerly Twitter), among other business ventures. In 2025 he stepped into politics as the head of a new governmental agency under President Donald Trump. Growing up in South Africa, Musk learned engineering skills from his father and quickly started tinkering on his own projects. Now he is putting his business and technical experience to work in government. Learn about Musk’s childhood, businesses, and entry into politics.