Elon Musk became rich through a series of successful entrepreneurial ventures and strategic investments, starting in the 1990s and accelerating dramatically in recent years. Early Ventures:

• In 1995, Musk co-founded Zip2, a software company providing online city guides to newspapers. Compaq acquired Zip2 in 1999 for $307 million, earning Musk about $22 million from the sale

• Musk then founded X.com, an online payment company that later merged with Confinity to become PayPal. eBay bought PayPal in 2002 for $1.5 billion, with Musk receiving approximately $175-$180 million for his stake

Major Growth Through Tesla and SpaceX:

• In 2002, Musk founded SpaceX with the goal of revolutionizing space travel. Despite early failures, SpaceX eventually succeeded with reusable rockets and secured major NASA contracts, significantly increasing its valuation

• Musk became an early investor in Tesla Motors in 2004 and later took on the CEO role. Tesla’s innovative electric vehicles and soaring stock price, especially from 2020 onwards, have been the primary drivers of Musk’s wealth growth

Wealth Explosion:

• From 2020, Tesla’s stock surged dramatically, partly due to its inclusion in the S&P 500 index, causing Musk’s net worth to increase by over $140 billion in that year alone

• SpaceX’s success with space missions and contracts further boosted his wealth

• Musk also invested in other ventures like Neuralink and The Boring Company, contributing to his status as one of the richest people globally

In summary, Elon Musk’s wealth originated from the sale of Zip2 and PayPal, but it skyrocketed due to his leadership and investments in Tesla and SpaceX, combined with strategic diversification into cutting-edge technologies