From a modest salary as the Tesla CEO to multiple companies formed out of scratch: Here’s a look at Elon Musk’s journey, net worth and more

Apr 24, 2023

Yash Sharma

Musk’s entrepreneurial journey began in 1995 when he founded Zip2. He later sold Zip2 for $307 million in 1999 and co-founded PayPal, an online payment system that was sold to eBay for $1.5 billion in 2002.

After PayPal, Musk founded SpaceX. In addition to SpaceX, Musk is the CEO of Tesla, which produces electric cars, energy storage systems, and solar products. He is also the CEO of Neuralink.

According to Forbes, Musk’s net worth as of April 2023 is $175 billion, making him the second-richest person in the world.

He has also made headlines for his eccentric behavior, such as smoking marijuana on a podcast and naming his child “X Æ A-12.”

Musk has taken a modest $37,000 annually as CEO of Tesla, but he receives compensation in the form of stock options. In 2020, he received a $11 billion payout as part of a compensation plan that was tied to Tesla’s stock performance.