Elon Musk (born 1971) is one of the greatest inventors and entrepreneurs of the 21st century. He was born in South Africa; his father was a white engineer, and his mother a Canadian nutritionist. At age 12, he created a computer game and sold it for $500. At 17, he moved to Canada for college and two years later went to the U.S., studying at the University of Pennsylvania on a scholarship. Musk has long pursued three ambitious goals: the Internet, clean energy, and space exploration.

Musk first rose to prominence with PayPal, the online payment system he co-founded. In 2002, he sold PayPal to eBay for $1.5 billion. With these funds, he founded Tesla, an electric vehicle company named after the 19th-century American inventor, serving as chief designer. Tesla’s electric cars have spread rapidly, sold in 31 countries, and Musk plans to invest $6 billion in a factory in China to produce locally.

He also pioneered solar power and energy storage. Through SolarCity, he built massive solar factories in California to promote renewable energy solutions.

Musk is innovating in transportation as well. He envisions a vacuum-tube hyperloop capable of speeds over 1,000 mph. He claims a $6 billion investment could make a Los Angeles–San Francisco trip in just 30 minutes, faster than any airplane. A 3-mile experimental tube is under construction in Colorado.

Space travel is another of Musk’s dreams. He founded SpaceX, employing 3,000 people, and secured $1.6 billion in contracts from NASA. By 2012, SpaceX had sent a spacecraft to the International Space Station. In recent years, the company successfully developed reusable rockets, drastically lowering launch costs.

Musk’s boldest vision is Mars colonization, aiming to send 80,000 people to establish a self-sustaining settlement. Mars presents enormous challenges: no breathable air or readily available water. Even sending eight people who survive would be a monumental achievement. His current goal is a manned Mars mission planned for 2022.

Musk’s work ethic is legendary. When Tesla faces difficulties, he personally oversees operations, sometimes sleeping at the factory for days, working over 100 hours a week, so intense that he has been known to cry from exhaustion.

He is one of the rare figures simultaneously leading ventures across multiple cutting-edge industries. By 2018, Musk’s net worth was $22 billion. He has been married three times (lasting 8, 2, and 3 years) and has five children, currently single. His relentless work pace has left little room for a conventional family life.