Elon Musk is a South African-born businessman and the chief executive of Tesla, a post he has held since October 2008. He also founded the rocket maker SpaceX and the AI company xAI.1235
Tesla gives him a title no other large company would: Technoking. In its own annual report it warns investors that it is highly dependent on his services.113
Rockets, solar panels and a car company
Musk founded SpaceX in 2002. The company has since developed the Falcon 1, Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicles and the Dragon spacecraft, which SpaceX describes as the first commercially produced spacecraft to visit the International Space Station.2
In July 2006 he became chairman of SolarCity, a solar installer. He held the post until Tesla acquired the company in November 2016. He became Tesla's chief executive in October 2008.1
A plan written for readers
Tesla's 2006 Master Plan, published on its blog under a title that called it a secret "just between you and me", set out the sequence in his own words. The aim, it said, was "to help expedite the move from a mine-and-burn hydrocarbon economy towards a solar electric economy".12
The method was to build a car for the rich, then "Use that money to build an affordable car", then "Use that money to build an even more affordable car". Tesla's 2024 annual report states the mission more briefly: to accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy.1213
Eight million cars and one indispensable man
Tesla's 2025 proxy statement says it had delivered its eight millionth vehicle. The same document put a 2025 CEO performance award for Musk to shareholders as a proposal. The 2024 annual report says the company is highly dependent on the services of Elon Musk, Technoking of Tesla and its chief executive.113
Brain implants and a chatbot company
Musk founded xAI in March 2023, and the company says its mission is to understand the universe. Neuralink, another of his companies, announced a $650 million Series E round.3417
A tweet, a settlement and three lawsuits
In 2018 the SEC alleged that Musk's tweets falsely indicated that funding had been secured for a multi-billion dollar deal to take Tesla private. He settled. The SEC said he would no longer be chairman of Tesla, and the court ordered Musk and Tesla to pay a $20 million civil penalty each, which both have paid. A court approved a distribution order in the case in September 2023.678
Two other cases name his companies, not him. The EEOC sued Tesla, alleging racial harassment of Black employees and retaliation against those who objected; Tesla moved to dismiss and stay the case, and the court denied both motions in March 2024. The Justice Department alleged that SpaceX refused to hire or consider asylees and refugees because of their citizenship status. It dismissed the case with prejudice in 2025, and the order says SpaceX did not oppose the dismissal.9101114
Musk is also a party to Musk v Altman, filed in the Northern District of California under case number 4:24-cv-04722-YGR.15
Musk, year by year
Founded SpaceX2
Became chairman of the solar installer SolarCity1
Became chief executive of Tesla1
Tesla acquired SolarCity, ending his chairmanship1
Settled SEC fraud claims over his tweets about taking Tesla private, stepped down as Tesla chair and paid a $20 million penalty678
Founded xAI3
A court approved a distribution order in the 2018 SEC case8
A federal court denied Tesla's motions to dismiss and stay the EEOC's race harassment lawsuit against the company910
The Justice Department dismissed its SpaceX hiring case with prejudice; Tesla put a 2025 CEO performance award to a shareholder vote111
Questions people ask about Elon Musk
Who is Elon Musk?
A South African-born businessman who has been chief executive of Tesla since October 2008 and who founded SpaceX in 2002 and xAI in 2023.1235
Is Elon Musk still CEO of Tesla?
Tesla's 2025 proxy statement, filed in September 2025, says he has served as chief executive since October 2008. Tesla calls him its Technoking.1
What companies did Elon Musk found?
SpaceX in 2002 and xAI in March 2023. He also chaired SolarCity from July 2006 until Tesla acquired it in November 2016.123
What was the SEC case against Elon Musk?
The SEC alleged that his 2018 tweets falsely indicated that funding was secured to take Tesla private. He settled, stepped down as Tesla chair and paid a $20 million penalty.678
What is Elon Musk's net worth?
The page does not give a figure. Forbes describes its own billionaire figure as an estimate, and we have no dated number to quote.16
Tesla on Kenning
Grok
Elon Musk's chatbot, built into X and sold as a standalone app, under investigation by UK and EU regulators over sexualised deepfakes.
Grok 4.6
SpaceXAI model from August 2026 aimed at long-running agents and app building
Grok Imagine
xAI's image and video generator inside the Grok app and on grok.com
Sources
- SEC EDGAR (Tesla 2025 proxy, DEF 14A)sec.gov · primary · 17 September 2025
- SpaceX Falcon User’s Guidespacex.com · primary · Sep 2021
- xAI developer documentationdocs.x.ai · primary
- Neuralinkneuralink.com · primary
- Encyclopaedia Britannicabritannica.com · secondary
- SEC complaintsec.gov · primary · 27 September 2018
- SECsec.gov · primary · 29 September 2018
- SEC; Midpage (PACER docket)sec.gov · primary · 2 February 2024
- U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commissioneeoc.gov · primary · 28 September 2023
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California; Midpage (PACER docket)courthousenews.com · primary · 29 March 2024
- U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officerjustice.gov · primary · 24 February 2025
- Teslatesla.com · primary · 2 August 2006
- SEC EDGAR (Tesla 2024 Form 10-K)sec.gov · primary · 30 January 2025
- U.S. Department of Justicejustice.gov · primary · 24 August 2023
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of California; Midpage (PACER docket)govinfo.gov · primary · 1 July 2025
- Forbesforbes.com · secondary
- xAIx.ai · primary
Checked against these sources. We review every page at least every three months.