< Previous1989 Canada bound for bigger dreams Fleeing South Africa’s compulsory military service, Musk moves to Canada to attend Queen’s University, starting a journey that will eventually lead him to Silicon Valley. The future disruptor is born Elon Musk enters the world in Pretoria, South Africa, setting the stage for a life that will redefine industries and challenge the boundaries of human potential. 1983 Code breaker at 12 At just 12 years old, Musk creates Blastar, a space- themed video game, and sells it for $500 – a precocious glimpse into the future tech mogul’s innovative mind. 2002 Musk’s million-dollar rocket Musk launches SpaceX, with the modest goal of colonising Mars and making space affordable. THE EARLY YEARS 2004 Supercharging the future Musk’s involvement in Tesla begins with an early investment round, but by 2008, he’s the driving force as CEO, setting the stage for an electric revolution. BOLD VENTURES IN 24-31_CEOE_0214_Elon Musk_13382798.indd 2825/09/2024 18:431992 Double major, double trouble Musk transfers to the University of Pennsylvania, earning degrees in Physics and Economics – a potent blend of theory and business acumen that sets the foundation for his ventures. 2008 Reaching for the stars, literally SpaceX’s Falcon 1 becomes the first privately funded liquid-fuelled rocket to reach orbit, proving that private space exploration isn’t just science fiction anymore. 1995 Stanford who? Musk drops out of Stanford after just two days, opting to ride the internet wave instead. Along with his brother Kimbal, he co- founds Zip2, an early foray into the digital world. 2000 The birth of PayPal X.com merges with Confinity, becoming PayPal – changing the way the world handles money and setting Musk up for his next astronomical venture. 2002 So long PayPal eBay buys PayPal for $1.5bn, giving Musk $165m. 2012 Space delivery: commercial edition SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft becomes the first commercial vessel to deliver cargo to the ISS, marking a milestone in space logistics. 2013 Model S dominates the roads The Tesla Model S is named Motor Trend’s Car of the Year, solidifying Tesla as the undisputed leader in electric vehicles and redefining the auto industry. 1999 From sleep deprived to $22m Compaq buys Zip2 for $307m, netting Musk a cool $22m. But he doesn’t rest for long, co-founding X.com, which would soon revolutionise online payments as PayPal. THE INTERNET BOOM SPACE AND ENERGY 24-31_CEOE_0214_Elon Musk_13382798.indd 2925/09/2024 18:432016 Digging tunnels and linking brains Never one to sit still, Musk founds The Boring Company to revolutionise tunnelling and Neuralink to merge the human brain with AI – because why not? 2018 Tesla: king of the (electric) road Tesla becomes the most valuable automaker in the US, a remarkable feat for a company once considered an underdog in the automotive industry. 2015 Musk’s friendly AI play Musk co-founds OpenAI, aiming to develop artificial intelligence that benefits humanity – because, of course, world domination through tech isn’t enough. 24-31_CEOE_0214_Elon Musk_13382798.indd 3025/09/2024 18:43AIMING FOR THE STARS 2020 A private space race triumph SpaceX successfully launches astronauts to the ISS aboard the Crew Dragon, marking the first private company to send humans into space – a monumental leap for commercial space travel. 2021 Tesla joins the trillion-dollar club Tesla hits a market valuation of $1tr, joining an elite group of companies and affirming Musk’s electric revolution as a permanent fixture in the global economy. $250bn and counting Musk’s net worth soars past $250bn, largely fuelled by the meteoric rise of Tesla and SpaceX. The man who once slept on his office floor is now shaping the future – one project at a time. 24-31_CEOE_0214_Elon Musk_13382798.indd 3125/09/2024 18:43F OREIGN DIREC T INVES TMENT INDUS TR Y DEEP DIVE 32-41_CEOE_0214_Cover story_13388151.indd 3225/09/2024 19:12ABDULAZIZ AL-SOWAILIM Chairman and CEO, EY MENA 32-41_CEOE_0214_Cover story_13388151.indd 3325/09/2024 19:13VISIONARY IMPACT 32-41_CEOE_0214_Cover story_13388151.indd 3425/09/2024 19:13Words by Kate-Lynne Wolmarans How Abdulaziz Al-Sowailim, the Chairman and CEO of EY MENA is leading with bold ambition 32-41_CEOE_0214_Cover story_13388151.indd 3525/09/2024 19:1332-41_CEOE_0214_Cover story_13388151.indd 3625/09/2024 19:1332-41_CEOE_0214_Cover story_13388151.indd 3725/09/2024 19:13Next >