Elon Musk

Tesla CEO; SpaceX founder

Elon Musk is Tesla’s chief executive and the founder of SpaceX. His career spans electric vehicles, space transportation, internet businesses and artificial intelligence. Before SpaceX, he co-founded Zip2 and the business that became PayPal. He joined Tesla’s board in 2004 and became CEO in 2008. His other ventures include Neuralink and The Boring Company, and he helped launch OpenAI in 2015.

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Photo: Debbie Rowe; required attribution: The Royal SocietyCC BY-SA 3.0 · Displayed in grayscale

At a glance

Current role: Tesla CEO; SpaceX founder ↗
Education: University of Pennsylvania — physics; Wharton — business ↗
Tesla leadership: Board member since April 2004; CEO since October 2008 ↗
Early companies: Zip2; PayPal predecessor ↗
Other ventures: Neuralink; The Boring Company ↗
Coverage: Vehicles; rockets; AI; robotics ↗

Sources checked 25 October 2026. Selected career background and milestones.

Career, in context.

Selected research, leadership and career milestones, newest first.

Feb
2026
SpaceX acquires xAI
xAI’s official announcement states that SpaceX has acquired the AI company, adding a documented AI-company transaction to the history of Musk’s space business.
Source: xAI ↗
May
2020
SpaceX launches its first astronauts
SpaceX launches NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley aboard Crew Dragon on the Demo-2 test flight, beginning the spacecraft’s first mission with people.
Source: NASA ↗
Dec
2015
Helps launch OpenAI
OpenAI’s founding announcement names Musk and Sam Altman as co-chairs of the nonprofit research organisation, marking an early connection to the AI field.
Source: OpenAI ↗
Oct
2008
Becomes Tesla CEO
Musk becomes Tesla’s chief executive in October 2008 after serving on its board. Tesla’s executive biography records the start of his CEO tenure.
Source: Tesla ↗
Apr
2004
Joins Tesla’s board
Musk joins Tesla’s board in April 2004, beginning his formal leadership involvement with the electric-vehicle company several years before becoming its chief executive.
Source: Tesla ↗
May
2002
Founds SpaceX
Musk establishes Space Exploration Technologies, known as SpaceX, in 2002. Tesla’s executive biography dates the start of his SpaceX leadership to May.
Source: Tesla ↗
Mar
1999
Zip2 is acquired by Compaq
Compaq acquires Zip2, the internet software business Musk co-founded, in March 1999. The sale precedes his subsequent ventures in online payments and spaceflight.
Source: Tesla ↗