Elon Musk's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Elon Musk.

Elon Musk is a businessman primarily known for his involvement in Tesla, SpaceX, and Twitter. As of 2025, he holds a senior advisory position to US President Donald Trump and effectively leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). With an estimated net worth of $320 billion USD in March 2025, Forbes recognizes him as the wealthiest individual globally.

Sections (6)

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

February 1999: Acquisition of Zip2 by Compaq

In February 1999, Compaq acquired Zip2 for $307 million in cash, and Elon Musk received $22 million for his 7-percent share.

2002: Acquisition of PayPal by eBay

In 2002, PayPal was acquired by eBay for $1.5 billion in stock, with Elon Musk receiving $175.8 million as the largest shareholder.

2008: Musk receives George Low Transportation Award

In 2008, Elon Musk received the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics George Low Transportation Award for his contributions to the development of the Falcon rockets.

2008: Successful Falcon 1 Launch and NASA Contract

In 2008, SpaceX successfully launched the Falcon 1 into orbit and received a $1.6 billion NASA contract for Falcon 9-launched Dragon spacecraft flights to the International Space Station (ISS).

2008: Tesla Begins Delivery of the Roadster

In 2008, Tesla began delivery of the Roadster, an electric sports car and the first mass production all-electric car to use lithium-ion battery cells.

2010: Musk receives Gold Space Medal

In 2010, Elon Musk received the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale Gold Space Medal for his contributions to the development of the Falcon rockets.

2010: Musk listed as one of the most influential people in the world

In 2010, Time listed Elon Musk as one of the most influential people in the world.

2011: Retirement of the Space Shuttle

In 2011, the Space Shuttle retired, leading to SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft replacing it for flights to the International Space Station (ISS).

2012: Musk receives Royal Aeronautical Society Gold Medal

In 2012, Elon Musk received the Royal Aeronautical Society Gold Medal for his contributions to the development of the Falcon rockets.

2012: Dragon Docks with the ISS

In 2012, the Dragon vehicle docked with the ISS, a first for a commercial spacecraft.

2013: SolarCity Becomes Second Largest Provider

By 2013, SolarCity had become the second largest provider of solar power systems in the United States.

2013: Musk listed as one of the most influential people in the world

In 2013, Time listed Elon Musk as one of the most influential people in the world.

2015: Musk receives honorary doctorate and IEEE 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: First Successful Landing of Falcon 9 First Stage

In 2015, SpaceX successfully landed the first stage of a Falcon 9 on a land platform, marking progress towards reusable rockets.

2017: Completion of SolarCity Production Facility

In 2017, construction of the SolarCity production facility in Buffalo, New York, was completed.

2018: Musk elected Fellow of the Royal Society

In 2018, Elon Musk was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS).

2018: Musk listed as one of the most influential people in the world

In 2018, Time listed Elon Musk as one of the most influential people in the world.

2018: Los Angeles Tunnel Debuts

In 2018, the Los Angeles tunnel, less than two miles in length, debuted to journalists, utilizing Tesla Model Xs for transport.

May 2019: Deployment of First Large Starlink Constellation

In May 2019, the first large constellation of Starlink satellites was deployed.

2020: Estimated Cost of Starlink Project

In 2020, SpaceX estimated the total cost of the decade-long project to design, build, and deploy the Starlink constellation to be $10 billion.

2020: First Crewed Flight by SpaceX

In 2020, SpaceX launched its first crewed flight, the Demo-2, becoming the first private company to place astronauts into orbit and dock a crewed spacecraft with the ISS.

2020: Tesla Becomes Most Valuable Carmaker

In the summer of 2020, Tesla became the most valuable carmaker and entered the S&P 500 later that year.

October 2021: Tesla Reaches $1 Trillion Market Capitalization

In October 2021, Tesla reached a market capitalization of $1 trillion, the sixth company in U.S. history to do so.

2021: Named Time magazine's Person of the Year

In 2021, Elon Musk was named Time magazine's Person of the Year.

2021: Neuralink Releases Video of Macaque Playing Pong

In 2021, Neuralink released a video in which a macaque played the video game Pong via a Neuralink implant.

2021: Musk named Time's Person of the Year

In 2021, Time selected Elon Musk as its "Person of the Year". Edward Felsenthal, then Time editor-in-chief, cited Musk's influence on life on Earth and potentially off Earth.

2021: Las Vegas Convention Center Tunnel Completed

In early 2021, a tunnel beneath the Las Vegas Convention Center was completed by the Boring Company.

2022: Musk elected to the National Academy of Engineering

In 2022, Elon Musk was elected to the National Academy of Engineering.

2022: Neuralink Announces Clinical Trials

In 2022, Neuralink announced that clinical trials would begin by the end of the year.

February 2023: Jury finds Musk and Tesla not liable in shareholder lawsuit

In February 2023, a jury found Elon Musk and Tesla not liable in a shareholder lawsuit concerning a tweet that had previously triggered an SEC investigation.

September 2023: FDA Approves Neuralink Human Trials

In September 2023, the Food and Drug Administration approved Neuralink to initiate six-year human trials.

2024: NASA Contract to Deorbit the ISS

In 2024, NASA awarded SpaceX an $843 million contract to deorbit the ISS at the end of its lifespan.

March 2025: Wealthiest Person in the World

In March 2025, Forbes estimated Elon Musk's net worth to be $320 billion USD, making him the wealthiest person in the world.

March 16, 2025: Musk is the wealthiest person in the world

As of March 16, 2025, Elon Musk is the wealthiest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of US$305 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index and $320 billion according to Forbes.