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 prominent businessman, best known for leading Tesla, SpaceX, and X. As of 2025, he serves as a senior advisor to President Donald Trump and effectively heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk has held the title of the world's wealthiest individual since 2021, with Forbes estimating his net worth at $345 billion as of March 2025. He was recognized as Time magazine's Person of the Year in 2021.

Sections (6)

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

1950: Grandfather moved to South Africa

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

June 28, 1971: Elon Musk's Birth

On June 28, 1971, Elon Reeve Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa.

Others born on this day/year

1980: Parents divorced

In 1980, Elon Musk's parents divorced, and he chose to live primarily with his father.

June 1989: Arrived in Canada

In June 1989, Elon Musk arrived in Canada and worked odd jobs.

1989: Emigration to Canada

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

1990: Entered Queen's University

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

1994: Internships in Silicon Valley

In 1994, Elon Musk held two internships in Silicon Valley: one at Pinnacle Research Institute and another at Rocket Science Games.

1995: Studied at the University of Pennsylvania

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

1995: Accepted to Stanford and applied to Netscape

In 1995, Elon Musk was accepted to a graduate program in materials science at Stanford University but did not enroll, deciding instead to join the Internet boom and applying for a job at Netscape.

1997: Awarded degrees from the University of Pennsylvania

In 1997, Elon Musk was awarded a Bachelor of Arts in physics and a Bachelor of Science in economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

2002: Became a U.S. citizen

In 2002, Elon Musk became a U.S. citizen. PayPal was also acquired by eBay.

2008: Musk Supported Obama

In 2008, Elon Musk supported Barack Obama for president.

2012: Musk Supported Obama

In 2012, Elon Musk supported Barack Obama for president for the second time.

2016: Musk Supported Clinton

In 2016, Elon Musk supported Hillary Clinton for president.

August 2020: Musk Acquires Second Private Jet

In August 2020, Elon Musk acquired a second private jet, adding to his fleet used for personal travel.

2020: Musk Supported Biden and Yang

In 2020, Elon Musk supported Joe Biden for president and also endorsed Andrew Yang during the Democratic Party presidential primaries.

2021: Musk Opposed the Build Back Better Act

In 2021, Elon Musk publicly expressed opposition to the Build Back Better Act, a legislative package endorsed by Joe Biden.

2022: Musk Supports Republican Candidates

In 2022, Elon Musk announced he would begin supporting Republican Party candidates and donated over $50 million to Citizens for Sanity, a conservative political action committee.

June 2023: Musk Hosted DeSantis Campaign Announcement

In June 2023, Elon Musk hosted Ron DeSantis's campaign announcement on a Twitter Spaces event.

2023: Errol recounts the 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".

January 2024: Musk Hosted Bipartisan X Spaces

From June 2023 to January 2024, Elon Musk hosted a bipartisan set of X Spaces with Republican and Democratic candidates.

July 2024: Musk Endorsed Trump for President

In July 2024, Elon Musk endorsed Donald Trump for president minutes after the attempted assassination.

August 2024: Trump Commits to Giving Musk Advisory Role

In August 2024, Donald Trump committed to giving Elon Musk an advisory role, and Musk accepted the offer. The concept of DOGE emerged in a discussion between Musk and Donald Trump.

December 2024: Musk Suggested DOGE Could Cut Federal Budget

In November and December 2024, Elon Musk suggested that the organization could help to cut the U.S. federal budget, consolidate the number of federal agencies, eliminate the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and that its final stage would be "deleting itself".

2024: Heavily involved in politics as a vocal supporter of Trump

Since the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Elon Musk has been heavily involved in politics as a vocal supporter of Trump, being the largest donor in the election.

January 2025: DOGE Created by Executive Order

In January 2025, the organization was created by executive order, and Elon Musk was designated a "special government employee". Trump said two days later that he had put Musk in charge of DOGE.

April 30, 2025: Musk Begins Departure from DOGE

On April 30, 2025, Elon Musk would begin his departure from DOGE after exiting the White House. He plans to work remotely until his 130 day deadline as a special government employee expires.

2025: Musk Donated to Wisconsin Supreme Court Race

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