Early Life and Education of Elon Musk: A Complete Timeline

How education and upbringing influenced the life of Elon Musk. A timeline of key moments.

Elon Musk is a businessman and public official primarily known for leading Tesla and SpaceX. He has been the wealthiest person in the world since 2025, with Forbes estimating his net worth at US$788 billion as of May 2026. Musk's ventures focus on electric vehicles, space exploration, and other technological advancements.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1950: Move to South Africa

In 1950, Elon Musk's maternal grandfather, Joshua N. Haldeman, moved to South Africa.

June 28, 1971: Elon Musk's Birth

On June 28, 1971, Elon Reeve Musk was born. He is known for his leadership of Tesla and SpaceX.

Others born on this day/year

1979: Parents' Divorce

In 1979, after his parents divorced, Elon, aged around 9, chose to live with his father.

June 1989: Arrival in Canada

In June 1989, Elon Musk arrived in Canada.

1989: Emigration to Canada

In 1989, Elon Musk emigrated from South Africa to Canada.

1990: Enrollment at Queen's University

In 1990, Elon Musk entered Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario.

1995: Studies at the University of Pennsylvania

In 1995, Elon Musk studied at the University of Pennsylvania.

1995: Acceptance to Stanford University

In 1995, Elon Musk was accepted to a graduate program in materials science at Stanford University, but did not enroll.

1997: Degrees from the University of Pennsylvania

In 1997, Elon Musk received a Bachelor of Arts in physics and a Bachelor of Science in economics from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.

2000: Contracted Severe Malaria

In 2000, Elon Musk contracted a severe case of malaria while on vacation in South Africa.

2000: Musk marries Justine Wilson

In 2000, Elon Musk married Canadian author Justine Wilson after meeting at Queen's University in Ontario, Canada.

2002: Became a U.S. Citizen

In 2002, Elon Musk became a U.S. citizen.

2002: Nevada Alexander Musk dies

In 2002, Elon Musk's first child with Justine Wilson, Nevada Alexander Musk, died of sudden infant death syndrome at the age of 10 days.

2002: Acquisition of PayPal by eBay and American Citizenship

In 2002, PayPal was acquired by eBay. Also in 2002, Elon Musk became an American citizen.

2004: Musk and Wilson have twins

In 2004, Elon Musk and Justine Wilson had twins via in vitro fertilization (IVF) following the death of their first child.

2006: Musk and Wilson have triplets

In 2006, Elon Musk and Justine Wilson had triplets via in vitro fertilization (IVF).

2008: Musk and Wilson divorce

In 2008, Elon Musk and Justine Wilson divorced and have shared custody of their children.

2008: Musk begins dating Talulah Riley

In 2008, Elon Musk began dating English actress Talulah Riley.

2012: Emails between Musk and Epstein exist from 2012 to 2013

Emails between Elon Musk and Jeffrey Epstein exist from 2012 to 2013.

2012: Musk and Riley divorce

In 2012, Elon Musk and Talulah Riley divorced.

2012: Musk emails Epstein about parties

In 2012, Elon Musk emailed Jeffrey Epstein asking about parties for the holiday season and inquiring if Epstein had any parties planned.

September 11, 2013: Epstein invites Musk to UN General Assembly opening

On September 11, 2013, Jeffrey Epstein sent an email to Elon Musk inviting him to New York for the opening of the United Nations General Assembly.

2013: Emails between Musk and Epstein exist from 2012 to 2013

Emails between Elon Musk and Jeffrey Epstein exist from 2012 to 2013.

2014: Musk appears in photograph with Ghislaine Maxwell

In 2014, Elon Musk and Ghislaine Maxwell appeared together in a photograph taken at an Academy Awards after-party, which Musk later described as a "photobomb".

2014: Musk briefly files for divorce from Riley

In 2014, Elon Musk briefly filed for divorce from Talulah Riley.

2015: Honorary doctorate from Yale University and IEEE Honorary Membership

In 2015, Elon Musk received an honorary doctorate in engineering and technology from Yale University and an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Honorary Membership.

2015: No invitation to World Economic Forum since 2015

In 2015, The World Economic Forum (WEF) said that they had not invited Elon Musk to their forum since 2015.

2016: Musk and Riley finalize second divorce

In 2016, Elon Musk and Talulah Riley finalized their second divorce.

2017: Musk dates Amber Heard

In 2017, Elon Musk dated American actress Amber Heard for several months.

2018: Musk and Grimes confirm dating

In 2018, Elon Musk and Canadian musician Grimes confirmed they were dating.

2019: Musk denies close relationship with Epstein

In 2019, Elon Musk denied any close relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and described him as a "creep".

2020: Musk and Grimes have first child

In 2020, Elon Musk and Grimes had their first child, originally named "X Æ A-12".

2020: Relocation to Texas

In late 2020, Elon Musk relocated to Cameron County, Texas, citing California's "complacent" attitude towards its economic success. He had resided in California since the early 2000s.

September 2021: Musk and Grimes "semi-separated"

In September 2021, Elon Musk and Grimes were reported to be "semi-separated".

December 2021: Musk says he is single

In December 2021, Elon Musk stated in an interview with Time that he was single.

2021: Musk allegedly has affair with Nicole Shanahan

In 2021, Elon Musk allegedly had an affair with Nicole Shanahan, the wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin, leading to their divorce the following year. Musk has denied the report.

2021: Musk has twins with Shivon Zilis

In 2021, Elon Musk had twins with Shivon Zilis via IVF.

2021: Public Disclosure of Asperger Syndrome

In 2021, while hosting Saturday Night Live, Elon Musk publicly stated that he has Asperger syndrome (a superseded term for autism spectrum disorder).

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July 2022: Report of Musk's alleged affair with Nicole Shanahan

In July 2022, The Wall Street Journal reported that Elon Musk allegedly had an affair with Nicole Shanahan in 2021.

2022: Musk and Grimes have third child

In 2022, Elon Musk and Grimes had their third child.

2022: Voting Republican for the First Time

In 2022, Elon Musk voted for a Republican for the first time, marking a shift from his previous support of Democratic candidates.

2022: Vivian Jenna Wilson changes her name

In 2022, Elon Musk's elder twin with Justine Wilson came out as a trans woman and officially changed her name to Vivian Jenna Wilson, adopting her mother's surname.

October 2023: Grimes sues Musk over parental rights

In October 2023, Grimes sued Elon Musk over parental rights and custody of X Æ A-Xii.

2023: Shunning of the World Economic Forum

In 2023, Elon Musk stated he avoided the World Economic Forum (WEF) due to boredom, though the WEF commented they had not invited him since 2015.

2023: Errol Musk's Emerald Mine Deal

In 2023, Errol Musk recounted that the deal he made was to receive "a portion of the emeralds produced at three small mines".

July 2024: Endorsement of Donald Trump for President

In July 2024, Elon Musk became a vocal and financial supporter of Donald Trump, endorsing him for president and expressing hope for his rapid recovery after an assassination attempt. Musk also joined Trump at campaign rallies, promoted conspiracy theories, and became the largest individual donor of the 2024 election.

October 2024: Report of Musk buying a Texas compound for his children

In October 2024, The New York Times reported Elon Musk bought a Texas compound for his children and their mothers, though Musk denied having done so.

2024: Musk has a child with Shivon Zilis via surrogacy

In 2024, Elon Musk had a child with Shivon Zilis via surrogacy.

2024: Largest Donor in U.S. Presidential Election

In 2024, Elon Musk was the largest donor in the U.S. presidential election, where he supported Donald Trump.

February 14, 2025: Ashley St. Clair claims to have given birth to Musk's son

On February 14, 2025, Ashley St. Clair posted on X claiming to have given birth to Elon Musk's son Romulus five months earlier.

February 22, 2025: St. Clair files for sole custody of her son

On February 22, 2025, it was reported that Ashley St. Clair had filed for sole custody of her five-month-old son and for Elon Musk to be recognised as the child's father.

March 31, 2025: Musk states he has paid St. Clair $2.5 million

On March 31, 2025, Elon Musk wrote that, while he was unsure if he was the father of Ashley St. Clair's child, he had paid St. Clair $2.5 million and would continue paying her $500,000 per year. Later reporting indicated that $1 million of these payments were structured as a loan.

2025: Equivalent Value of Blastar Sale

At age twelve, Elon sold his BASIC-based game Blastar to PC and Office Technology magazine for approximately $500 (equivalent to $1,600 in 2025).

2025: Contribution to Wisconsin Supreme Court Race

In 2025, Elon Musk contributed $19 million to the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, aiming to influence the state's future redistricting efforts and regulations governing car manufacturers and dealers.

2025: Musk has a child with Shivon Zilis

In 2025, Elon Musk had a child with Shivon Zilis.

2025: Report suggests Musk has more children than publicly known

In 2025, The Wall Street Journal reported that sources close to Elon Musk suggested that the "true number of Musk's children is much higher than publicly known".

January 2026: Epstein files contain emails between Musk and Epstein

In January 2026, the Epstein files contain emails between Elon Musk and Jeffrey Epstein from 2012 to 2013, after Epstein's first conviction.

January 30, 2026: Emails indicate Epstein invited Musk to visit his island

On January 30, 2026, emails were released indicating that Jeffrey Epstein invited Elon Musk to visit his private island on multiple occasions, but Musk did not visit.

2026: WEF Debut and Participation in Dialog

In 2026, Elon Musk made a last-minute debut at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in an interview. He also participated in Dialog, dubbed "Tech Bilderberg", organized by Peter Thiel and Auren Hoffman.