If geniuses still live today (2018), then Elon Reeve Musk is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of them. Born in 1971, Elon Musk is a South African-born American businessman, an entrepreneur, and an engineer known for founding Tesla Motors (2013), SpaceX (2002), and X.com (1999), which is known as PayPal today. While in his late 20s, Elon sold Zip2, his start-up company, to Compaq Computers. This trade saw him become a multimillionaire almost instantly.
In 2012, Elon made headlines when his company, SpaceX, launched Falcon 9 rocket with 1,000 pounds of supplies to the ISS (International Space Station). This was the first time ever a private firm had sent a spacecraft to the ISS. Elon could not hide his feelings after this milestone when he said, “I feel very lucky.” In his own words, he compared this success to winning the Super Bowl. His 2016 acquisition of SolarCity saw him bolster his portfolio. Given his immense contribution and experience in engineering field, Elon would later earn a role as an adviser in Donald Trump’s administration.
In February 2018, Elon and SpaceX enjoyed another milestone moment when they successfully launched a powerful Falcon Heavy rocket armed with Falcon 9 additional boosters. This rocket was meant for carrying heavy payloads into orbit. The following month saw Elon and his company receive permission from the U.S. government to send a fleet of satellites into low orbit to provide Internet services. This made it possible for people in rural areas to access broadband services.
Besides his achievements with SpaceX and Tesla, Elon has numerous other innovations and inventions to his name. For instance, his 2013 “Hyperloop” invention aimed at promoting commuting between major cities while reducing travel time is still fresh in the minds of many people. No one can dare forget this man.
