Inside Elon Musk’s ambitious venture: 5 fascinating facts about 'The Boring Company'

Elon Musk is widely known as the man behind Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and even X (formerly Twitter). 

But among his many futuristic ventures lies one of his most unusual yet ambitious projects, The Boring Company.

Founded in 2016, Musk created the tunneling startup after becoming increasingly frustrated with Los Angeles’ notorious traffic. 

His solution was simple yet daring: dig underground tunnels to reduce congestion.

What began as a Twitter idea has grown into a serious infrastructure company, blending Musk’s signature humour with bold engineering.

Here are five interesting things you should know about "The Boring Company."

1. Born out of traffic frustration

Musk famously tweeted, “Traffic is driving me nuts. I'm going to build a tunnel boring machine and just start digging.” 

Within hours, he had named it The Boring Company, a pun on both its mission and its work.

2. From SpaceX arm to an independent company

Initially started as a side project under SpaceX, The Boring Company became a standalone entity in 2018.

By the following year, it raised $120 million in outside funding, with Musk appointing longtime SpaceX engineer Steve Davis as its president.

3. Vision of Hyperloop transport

Musk’s early pitch involved futuristic Hyperloop pods traveling at speeds of over 600 mph in low-pressure tunnels.

While the reality today looks different, with Tesla cars currently running in the tunnels, the Hyperloop vision continues to inspire discussions about next-generation urban transport.

4. First tunnel projects in LA and Vegas

The company’s debut tunnel opened in Hawthorne, California, in 2018, where Tesla vehicles zipped through at speeds up to 110 mph during tests.

More recently, its Las Vegas “Loop” has been transporting passengers in Teslas through a growing network beneath the city.

5. Playful products that go viral

True to Musk’s playful branding, The Boring Company also grabbed attention with unusual merchandise.

In 2018, it sold 17,000 units of its “Not-A-Flamethrower” in under a week. Later, it even released a perfume called Burnt Hair.