Elon Musk, the famous tech mogul, is known for his marriages, relationships with Hollywood celebrities, and his child with musician Grimes. Despite his lavish lifestyle, Musk has chosen to live in a tiny home worth $50,000.
He Sold All His Real Estate
Elon Musk has recently sold much of his real estate portfolio to focus on SpaceX and his mission to Mars. It’s speculated that he may be downsizing in preparation for his future on Mars.
His New Home
In June 2021, Musk revealed on Twitter that his new home is a $50,000 prefab house in Boca Chica, Texas, which he rents from SpaceX. This move is unprecedented for the billionaire entrepreneur.
Downsizing?
Last year, Musk declared on social media that he had sold almost all his personal possessions, including his houses, except for a mansion in San Francisco that is currently on the market for $38 million.
Living in Texas With Grimes
Musk announced his plan to move to Texas to be with his partner, musician Grimes. After listing his properties, he is now residing in Texas with Grimes and their son, X Æ A-XII.
A Unique Couple
Both Musk and Grimes have expressed an interest in living on Mars, which aligns with Musk’s exploration through SpaceX. The couple’s non-traditional lifestyle may lead to a non-traditional marriage, perhaps beyond Earth.
A ‘Boxable’ Home
Elon Musk’s new 375-square-foot home in Texas was purchased for $50,000 from a housing startup called Boxabl. The company’s units can be set up in 24 hours and are designed to be easily shipped and assembled on-site.
The Bare Necessities
Musk now lives with the bare necessities in his new home, which features a living area, bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom. Boxabl aims to make housing more affordable for everyone through mass-scale production.
Falcon 9
News about Musk’s new home broke in November 2020, and a promo video from the housing company revealed that a unit was delivered to Musk in Texas, indicated by a Falcon 9 poster on the door, a nod to SpaceX’s rocket design.
Renovating His New House
Musk mentioned that he renovated his new home to his taste, which increased its value to $70,000, still considerably less than the cost of a Tesla Model S. The practicality of his new home starkly contrasts with his previous luxurious properties.
 Expanding Starbase
Elon Musk and ‘Boxabl’ appear to have a close working relationship, with the offer of a Casita unit being assembled on Mars as potential accommodation for astronauts. ‘Boxabl’ has also proposed the use of its tiny homes for the expansion of Starbase, allowing for more compact housing units than traditional apartments.
Elon’s Influence
Elon Musk has a reputation for posting unconventional content on his social media accounts, and unlike others, his statements often have significant implications. Whether he’s joking or suggesting unusual ideas, people tend to pay attention and may even follow suit.
His Eccentricities
During his appearance on ‘Saturday Night Live’ in 2021, Elon Musk disclosed that he has Asperger’s syndrome, a form of neurodiversity. He described himself as the first person with Asperger’s to host the show and explained how his condition manifests in his speech patterns, which he humorously suggested makes for great comedy.
Defying His Critics
Elon Musk’s early interests in science fiction, philosophy, and fantasy novels have shaped his idealistic outlook, drive for progress, and his corporate career. As one of the world’s wealthiest individuals, he is dedicated to essential future endeavors, from renewable energy to the colonization of Mars, consistently defying critics and demonstrating progress in his ventures, such as Tesla Motors and SpaceX.
His Charitable Spending Spree
Recently, Elon Musk has embarked on an aggressive streak of philanthropic giving, making substantial donations at a rapid pace. For instance, he made a generous $100 million donation to the winner of a climate contest, and in the first quarter of 2021, he committed nearly $150 million directly to charities and foundations. This amount significantly surpasses his total contributions before 2021, estimated at around $100 million.
His Controversial Reputation
In his professional life, Elon Musk has demonstrated speed and innovation comparable to his charitable giving, particularly through the inventiveness and creativity at SpaceX and Tesla. Transitioning this innovative spirit into charitable activities could potentially improve and rectify Musk’s controversial reputation, though he still has a long way to go before being considered among the great philanthropists.
Musk’s New Project
In under 14 years since founding SpaceX, Elon Musk has successfully built a thriving private space program. Balancing this endeavor with his Tesla empire, and other ventures like the Hyperloop moonshot project, Musk has managed to encourage others to further develop their ideas by open-sourcing the Hyperloop concept. His aerospace operation now employs thousands of people, has secured exclusive deals with NASA, made plans for Mars colonization, and achieved unprecedented launches and landings.
SpaceX
Aside from the widely known accomplishments at SpaceX, there is much about the serial entrepreneur that remains unknown. Despite overseeing successful ventures, such as the hauling of cargo to the International Space Station and unprecedented launches, Musk’s endeavors continue to intrigue the public.
His Love for Rocket Science
In addition to managing multiple successful companies, Elon Musk has a self-taught understanding of rocket science. According to a former employee at SpaceX, Musk developed many pioneering ideas for the company by independently studying the subject through reading textbooks.
SpaceX Almost Ruined Tesla
In 2008, Elon Musk faced financial challenges, and Tesla was at risk of failing, partly due to the significant resources invested in SpaceX. With SpaceX experiencing financial struggles and no product yet from Tesla, Musk faced a daunting situation, unable to single-handedly rescue Tesla.However, he managed to raise enough money from friends in the previous hour to keep Tesla operational. Going Public In 2012, rumors surfaced that SpaceX was considering an IPO, but Elon dismissed them. He publicly stated that the Aerospace company would postpone any potential IPO until after their space transporter began regular flights. The Colonial transporter is the spaceship designed to transport large numbers of people to Mars. Elon expressed his desire to avoid short-term payoffs that could impede his long-term goals.
Plans to Reach Mars Despite his impressive list of achievements, many people associate SpaceX solely with Elon Musk’s ambitious vision to colonize Mars and establish the first human colony. He has openly discussed his aspirations to spend his final years on Mars. However, traveling to Mars, let alone colonizing it, is still many years away.
Interplanetary Transport System Elon Musk introduced an extremely ambitious plan to create a transport system that could eventually make long journeys to Mars feasible, affordable, and fast. He has presented a detailed plan for building an interplanetary transport system that could make trips to Mars a reality one day. This plan includes estimates of the duration and cost of the journey.
Colonizing the Red Planet Musk unveiled his vision through SpaceX’s plan to create a “multi-planetary species” by colonizing Mars. The intricate system involves huge spaceships and rocket launchers capable of carrying up to 200 people to Mars. The entire journey is expected to take around 80 days, with one refueling stop.
If All Goes Well Musk claims that the operation would make trips to Mars more affordable, stating that a ticket to Mars should cost around $200,000. He also mentioned that if all goes well, the project could be completed within about 10 years at a cost of approximately $10 billion. He acknowledged the risks involved and anticipated that accidents would be likely, but still believed that people will eventually land on Mars, possibly much sooner than expected.
What’s With Their Names? SpaceX used names inspired by science fiction for its projects. The company’s Dragon spacecraft was named after the song “Puff, the Magic Dragon” by Peter, Paul & Mary. The Falcon rockets were named in homage to Star Wars. These names were meant to challenge Musk’s critics who considered his plans impossible.
Building a Roller Coaster for SpaceX It’s no surprise that tech companies in Silicon Valley offer unique job perks to keep their employees happy. Elon Musk expressed interest in building a roller coaster inside his factories for his employees, as mentioned in his autobiography. Global WiFi network Another ambitious plan involves launching thousands of micro-satellites into Earth’s orbit to create a global satellite internet network, providing quality WiFi access worldwide. The project received over $1 billion in funding from partners like Google and filed for a testing license to begin preparations.
NASA Since the discontinuation of its Shuttle program in 2011, NASA has relied on Russian flights to transport its astronauts to the International Space Station. In an effort to end this dependency, NASA signed a contract with SpaceX to develop new spaceflight capabilities for the US to launch its astronauts once again.Elon Musk has a passion for taking on difficult tasks, but surprisingly, he has admitted that he doesn’t like being in charge at Tesla. It’s no shock to learn that he prefers spending his time on design and engineering. Despite this, he started The Boring Company to address the frustrations of traffic and to expand transportation options. He has stated that this project only takes up 3% of his time, indicating that it is more of a personal interest for him. The company is now preparing to offer free test rides to the public, with a focus on transporting pedestrians through underground tunnels using electric pods.
The Boring Company’s vision is showcased in a promotional video that depicts a future where travel is unhindered by red tape and environmental concerns, with a Tesla used in the video. The venture is also making headway in Las Vegas, where Musk is working on a tunnel system to improve transportation for tourists and residents. This system would operate using electric vehicles, including Tesla models, and would be fully autonomous.
Musk’s recent statement on Twitter, predicting a significant increase in the production of electric vehicles in the coming years, has sparked discussion about Tesla’s potential impact on the market. While some may interpret his comment as referring solely to Tesla, Musk clarified that he was speaking about the entire electric car market and not just his company.
Elon Musk mentioned that if everything goes as planned, his company may be responsible for producing around 20 million vehicles by 2030. “That will be the total market, not just Tesla. We do manage to see Tesla making 20 million vehicles per year probably before 2030,” he tweeted.
The Road Ahead
To provide some context, 2.1 million electric cars were sold globally in 2019, with Tesla selling 367,500 vehicles that year alone. It seems evident that both the market and Tesla are moving in this direction.
However, there is still a long way to go before reaching that desired number. In the second quarter of 2020, the company produced just over 82,000 vehicles.
An Expensive Price-tag
In order to expand, Tesla may need to appeal to different markets. Unfortunately, this brand appears to be only within reach for those willing to spend a significant amount of money.
Fortunately, preparations have begun for a more affordable product, with plans to sell a $25,000 model in the coming years.
Neuralink
Musk co-founded a neurotechnology startup called Neuralink in 2016, with the goal of integrating the human brain with artificial intelligence through the creation of devices to be implanted in the human brain. These devices are designed to merge the brain with machines and could potentially enhance memory.
Image Source: Frederic Legrand – COMEO / Shutterstock
