Elon Musk: From Pretoria Kid to the World’s Most Volatile Billionaire

Politics, power and a $335 billion price tag

Elon Musk is not just South Africa’s most famous export; he’s the internet’s favourite headline generator, the richest man alive, and arguably the most unpredictable tech figure in modern history.

Born in Pretoria and now deeply embedded in the chaos of US tech and politics, Musk has built and broken companies, presidents, and even his own public image. In 2025, his net worth sits at a jaw-dropping $335 billion, according to Bloomberg. But that figure barely scratches the surface of who he is or what kind of storm he’s stirring up.

Pretoria roots and a rocket-fuelled rise

Musk’s story starts in the suburbs of Pretoria, where a 12-year-old Elon was coding games and selling homemade Easter eggs door to door with his brother. After a difficult childhood marked by bullying, a messy divorce at home, and a diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome, he bolted from SA the first chance he got, landing up in Canada, then eventually at the University of Pennsylvania in the US.

He ditched his Stanford PhD to ride the dotcom wave, and it paid off. His first big exit was PayPal, sold to eBay for $1.5 billion in 2002. From there, Musk did what most people wouldn’t: dumped his fortune into a high-risk space project and an unproven electric car startup. Those became SpaceX and Tesla.

Both ventures nearly went under. Now they define entire industries.

From boardroom to battlefield: Musk’s political mess

Once seen as an innovation messiah, Musk now occupies a far murkier space. His political journey, especially in the past year, has been chaotic.

In early 2024, he became one of Donald Trump’s most vocal allies, even heading the newly created US Department of Government Efficiency (yes, “Doge,” named by Musk). But after clashing over spending bills and Musk lobbing a wild Epstein-related accusation without evidence, their bromance imploded. Trump threatened his federal contracts; Musk called for his impeachment.

It was reality TV masquerading as governance.

And it didn’t stop there. In the UK, he’s accused Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of “complicity” in grooming gang scandals, and in Germany, he publicly backed the far-right AfD party ahead of elections. According to YouGov, more than 70% of Britons and Germans view Musk negatively in 2025.

X, AI, and the everything spiral

After buying Twitter in 2022 for $44 billion, Musk renamed it X and laid off key moderation teams. Hate speech reports spiked. Big brands fled. The platform’s value tanked to $9.4 billion.

Yet Musk wants X to be more than a social media platform, a so-called “everything app” to rival WeChat. But most users are still just trying to post memes without wading through chaos.

He’s also taken on AI. After investing early in OpenAI, he left and then sued them in 2024, claiming they betrayed their non-profit roots by teaming up with Microsoft. His countermove? Launching xAI, his own AI company, with a goal to “understand the universe.” As one journalist noted, “He leads by instinct, not strategy.”

Tesla, turmoil, and the $56 billion question

Tesla remains his crown jewel, even though its shine has dimmed. Sales have slumped in the US, partly because buyers are distancing themselves from Musk’s political views. His controversial $56 billion pay package was recently struck down by a judge, who called it “unfathomable.”

Still, shareholders backed him in June, with 75% voting in favour. Love him or hate him, Musk knows how to hold power.

The man behind the money

Musk has been divorced three times, twice from the same woman. He has 12 children and famously named one X Æ A-12. He claims the world’s biggest threat is not climate change but population collapse, which he’s “personally addressing” by procreating.

He once told his first wife on their wedding night, “I am the alpha in this relationship.” And while friends say he’s driven by humanity’s future, critics say his ego, erratic behaviour and online trolling paint a darker picture.

So, what is Elon Musk really worth?

Financially? $335 billion, based largely on his 13% stake in Tesla.

Culturally? That’s more complicated. He is either a visionary trying to save humanity or a billionaire stirring global chaos from the comfort of his rocket-launching boardrooms.

Whatever your view, Musk is no longer just a name in tech. In 2025, he is a defining character in politics, culture, science, and controversy, with roots in South Africa and ambitions for Mars.

Also read: Fikile Mbalula’s Money Trail: Salary, Net Worth, and Scandals in 2025

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Source: BBC

Featured Image: Men’s Journal