Broken Nose
In his youth, Elon was an avid fan of science fiction. He could spend up to 10 hours a day reading books. In school, this passion backfired on him—his classmates often bullied him for his "nerdy" lifestyle. One day, bullies pushed him down the stairs. Elon broke his nose and underwent several surgeries. This incident motivated him to take up karate and other martial arts. Later, he admitted that books influenced his vision of the future and the design of many Tesla and SpaceX products.
First Earnings in the IT Industry
In 1984, 12-year-old Musk created his first video game, Blastar, which he sold to PC and Office Technology magazine for $500. It was a simple space shooter written in BASIC. Interestingly, the game's code has survived to this day and has been recreated by enthusiasts. Musk spent six months developing the game, working at night while his parents were asleep. This money became his first earnings.A Secret Club in College
During his college years at the University of Pennsylvania, Musk and his roommate rented a 10-room house, which they turned into an underground nightclub. Over the weekends, they earned several thousand dollars by throwing parties for students. Musk, being a teetotaler, acted as the bouncer and manager, overseeing entrances and ticket sales.Sleeping Bag
In the early years of Tesla's existence, Musk worked almost around the clock and slept in a sleeping bag in the factory's conference room in Fremont. He personally oversaw the Model 3 production line, often spending up to 120 hours a week at the factory. His sleeping bag is still kept at the factory as a sort of artifact from those times.Space Cheese
In 2010, SpaceX became the first private company to launch and return a commercial payload from space. Few people know that among this cargo was a large head of cheese. Musk, a big fan of the comedy show "Monty Python," paid tribute to their cheese moon sketch this way.Iron Man in Reality
In preparation for his role as Tony Stark in "Iron Man," Robert Downey Jr. met with Musk and observed his behavior. Director Jon Favreau confirmed that Musk's personality partially inspired the superhero character. Moreover, scenes in Tony Stark's mansion were filmed in Musk's actual home in Los Angeles, and Musk himself made a cameo in the second film of the franchise.The Martian Architect
Since 2017, Musk has been developing blueprints for a future Martian city. These plans include not only technical aspects but also the social structure of the settlement. For example, he proposed a system of direct democracy to govern the colony, where every important decision would be made through direct voting by the residents.Read more about Elon Musk's childhood, career, and personal life in his biography.
