Does Elon Musk really own a bakery? The truth behind his venture will surprise you

Elon Musk is widely recognised as the name behind some of the world’s most ambitious ventures, including Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and xAI.

From electric cars and reusable rockets to brain-computer interfaces and artificial intelligence (AI), Musk’s innovations often sound like science fiction.

Yet, one rumour recently caught the internet’s attention: Musk owns a bakery. As odd as that may sound, the truth behind this claim is fascinating.

Reality behind Musk’s so-called “bakery”

Yes, Musk does run what he refers to as a “bakery.” However, it’s not one that serves bread or pastries.

Located in Florida, this highly automated facility is a SpaceX production site that manufactures the ceramic heat shield tiles used on the Starship spacecraft.

These tiles protect the vehicle from the scorching temperatures of up to 1,400°C during re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.

Each Starship requires nearly 18,000 hexagonal tiles, made from advanced silica-based ceramics coated with black borosilicate glass.

This system is key to making Starship fully reusable, one of Musk’s long-term goals for affordable space travel.

Why it’s called a “bakery”

The nickname “bakery” stems from the “baking” process used to produce the tiles. Just like bread, these tiles are placed in high-temperature furnaces to create a perfectly uniform structure.

The metaphor caught on within SpaceX’s engineering teams, and even Musk himself began using it publicly.

Role in space exploration

This “bakery” isn’t just a random nickname; instead, it represents a core element of SpaceX’s mission to make spaceflight sustainable.

By mass-producing heat shields quickly and reliably, SpaceX can refurbish and reuse Starships faster than ever before, slashing costs and turnaround time.