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6 Fascinating facts about Elon Musk’s early life you probably never knew
Despite his entrepreneurial spirit, Musk’s school life was difficult
When you hear the name Elon Musk, the images that come to mind are usually rockets piercing through the skies, Tesla cars gliding silently on roads, or bold statements on X (formerly Twitter).
Musk today is not only one of the richest people on Earth but also one of the most influential figures shaping technology and the future of humanity.
But behind the headlines and multi-billion-dollar companies lies an extraordinary story of resilience, creativity, and determination that began long before his first startup.
Musk’s childhood and teenage years were filled with both challenges and unique experiences that helped shape the man he is today.
Here are six surprising and lesser-known facts about Elon Musk’s early life.
Selling candy to the wealthy
Growing up in Pretoria, South Africa, Musk and his brother Kimbal weren’t afraid to get entrepreneurial early.
Together with their cousins, they crafted homemade chocolate Easter eggs and sold them in affluent neighborhoods.
The group went door-to-door, charging an eye-popping $10 for each egg that cost them just 50 cents to make.
That sharp business instinct foreshadowed Musk’s ability to create products people didn’t just want but were willing to pay a premium for.
A childhood marked by bullying
Despite his entrepreneurial spirit, Musk’s school life was difficult. He was often bullied for being small, bookish, and introverted.
According to his biography by Ashlee Vance, gangs of boys once pushed him down a flight of stairs and left him in the hospital.
“I was almost beaten to death,” Musk revealed on 60 Minutes.
The bullying persisted until he turned 15, when he grew stronger physically and took up karate, wrestling, and judo.
Parents misunderstood as deaf
As a child, Musk often appeared so lost in thought that his parents and doctors suspected he might be deaf.
His mother eventually realized this was not a medical issue but rather his habit of disappearing into his own world of imagination and problem-solving.
Raised by books
For Musk, books weren’t just entertainment, they were his mentors. By age nine, he had read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica and often spent up to 10 hours a day immersed in science fiction, fantasy, and technology books.
“I was raised by books. Books, and then my parents,” Musk once said.
Titles like The Lord of the Rings, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series profoundly shaped his worldview.
Leaving South Africa at 17
At just 17, Musk made the bold decision to leave South Africa to pursue his studies in North America.
He first moved to Canada before later transferring to the University of Pennsylvania in the United States.
This lifestyle reflected his willingness to sacrifice comfort for ambition, something that defined his early years as an entrepreneur.
Went to Stanford for just two days
In 1995, Musk briefly enrolled at Stanford University to pursue a Ph.D. in applied physics. But within two days, he dropped out.
He believed the internet was about to change the world faster than academic research could keep up.
