Elon Musk

Elon Reeve Musk

Elon Reeve Musk is a technology entrepreneur who leads Tesla and SpaceX and has held leadership roles in xAI. He has been Tesla's chief executive officer since 2008 and is SpaceX's founder and chief executive officer. SpaceX acquired xAI, including X, in February 2026, although the available evidence does not establish Musk's specific post-acquisition title within the xAI business.

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About Elon Musk

Profile information current to 2026-08-22.

United States · Technology entrepreneur, Chief executive officer · 4 affiliations

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Known for: Technology entrepreneurship; Commercial spaceflight; Artificial intelligence
Country: United States

Technology entrepreneur
Chief executive officer

At a glance

Musk has served as Tesla's chief executive officer since October 2008 and is also a member of its board.
He founded SpaceX and serves as its chief executive officer.
NASA selected SpaceX, alongside Boeing, to transport U.S. crews to and from the International Space Station under its Commercial Crew program.
Before SpaceX, Musk co-founded Zip2 and PayPal, which were acquired by Compaq and eBay respectively.
SpaceX acquired xAI, including X, in February 2026; the supplied evidence does not specify Musk's subsequent xAI-specific executive title.

Leadership at Tesla and SpaceX

Musk has served as Tesla's chief executive officer since October 2008 and remains a member of its board. He is also SpaceX's founder and chief executive officer; SpaceX corporate materials additionally identify him as chief technology officer and chairman. These positions place his principal current work across electric-vehicle technology and commercial spaceflight.

Education and Early Ventures

Musk completed studies in physics through the University of Pennsylvania's School of Arts and Sciences and undergraduate business studies through Wharton, which reports that he technically graduated in 1997. He later co-founded Zip2 and PayPal. Tesla's corporate biography states that Compaq acquired Zip2 in March 1999 and eBay acquired PayPal in October 2002.

Commercial Spaceflight

SpaceX is central to Musk's public significance in commercial spaceflight. NASA selected SpaceX, alongside Boeing, under the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability program to provide transportation for U.S. crews traveling to and from the International Space Station.

Artificial Intelligence and xAI

Tesla's 2025 proxy statement reported that Musk had served as chief executive officer and treasurer of x.AI Corp. from March 2023 and became chief executive officer of X.AI Holdings Corp. following the March 2025 merger of X and xAI. SpaceX acquired xAI, including X, on February 2, 2026. The supplied current evidence establishes that transaction but does not independently identify Musk's post-acquisition executive title within the xAI business or legal entity.

Affiliations

Tesla, Inc. Chief Executive Officer 2008-10–present
SpaceX Founder and Chief Executive Officer 2002-05–present
x.AI Corp Chief Executive Officer and Treasurer 2023-03
X.AI Holdings Corp. Chief Executive Officer 2025-03

Timeline

1997 Completed University of Pennsylvania studies in physics and undergraduate business.
1999-03 Compaq acquired Zip2, which Musk had co-founded.
2002-05 Began serving as SpaceX's chief executive officer, chief technology officer and chairman, according to Tesla and SpaceX corporate materials.
2002-10 eBay acquired PayPal, which Musk had co-founded.
2004-04 Joined Tesla's board of directors.
2008-10 Became Tesla's chief executive officer.
2023-03 Began serving as chief executive officer and treasurer of x.AI Corp., according to Tesla's 2025 proxy statement.
2026-02-02 SpaceX acquired xAI, including X.

Additional verified details

Current context

Tesla identifies Musk as its chief executive officer and a member of its board. Tesla's public corporate biography and its January 2026 annual report support this status.
SpaceX identifies Musk as its founder and chief executive officer. SpaceX's leadership page lists Musk as founder and chief executive officer, and its June 2026 prospectus lists him as chief executive officer, chief technology officer and chairman.
xAI is part of SpaceX following SpaceX's acquisition of xAI, including X. This corporate structure qualifies a simple current characterization of xAI as a standalone company.

Biographical facts

A secondary biographical reference reports that Musk was born on June 28, 1971, in Pretoria, South Africa.
Musk completed a physics degree through the University of Pennsylvania's School of Arts and Sciences and an undergraduate business degree through Wharton; Wharton reports that he technically graduated in 1997.
Before SpaceX, Musk co-founded Zip2 and PayPal. Tesla states that Compaq acquired Zip2 in March 1999 and eBay acquired PayPal in October 2002.
Tesla's 2025 proxy statement says Musk had served as chief executive officer and treasurer of x.AI Corp. since March 2023 and, following the March 2025 merger of X and xAI, served as chief executive officer of X.AI Holdings Corp.
NASA selected SpaceX, alongside Boeing, under its Commercial Crew Transportation Capability program to transport U.S. crews to and from the International Space Station.