1. He Taught Himself Computer Programming When He Was 10

Most people at the age of 10 are busy playing video games, however, Musk was already learning how to code. At 12, he worked up a video game named Blastar and sold it for $500 — his first taste of entrepreneurship. His early fascination with technology paved the way for his later innovations.

2. He Once Lived on $1 a Day

Musk had extreme budgeting during his early years at the University of Pennsylvania. For a month, he lived on a dollar a day, subsisting mainly on hot dogs and oranges. But this is a goal to see if he could withstand adversity — a perspective that would later come in handy when he muscled through financial challenges with Tesla and SpaceX.

3. He Quit Stanford After Just Two Days

Musk enrolled in a Ph. D. program at Stanford, which he dropped out of after two days to pursue entrepreneurship in 1995. He and his brother built Zip2, an early internet city guide, which sold for 307 million dollars. This audacious choice was the start of his storied career.

4. He Has a James Bond Movie Submarine Car

Musk has an eclectic taste in collectibles. In 2013, he purchased the Lotus Esprit submarine car from the 1977 James Bond movie. He later joked about turning it into a real, working submarine, something that only Musk would actually conceive.

5. He Once Launched a Tesla Roadster into Space

In 2018, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket sent Musk’s personal Tesla Roadster into orbit around the sun with a manikin named “Starman” driving. The stunt was a twofold effort a test flight and a publicity stunt, showcasing Musk’s penchant for dramatic, unorthodox marketing.

6. He Made Tesla’s Models “S, 3, X, Y” as a Joke

Why do Tesla’s car models spell out “S, 3, X, Y,” many wondered. The E was changed to a 3 because of trademark issues, Musk has admitted it was a joke. This playful naming convention is a constant sign of humor that shines through in public statements.

7. He Thinks He Could Die on Mars

Musk is obsessed with making humans a multi-planetary species. He has said often that he wants to die on Mars — just not on impact. He’s trying to build a colony on Mars through SpaceX’s Starship program, possibly within a few decades.

8. He Once Taunted Putin to a Fight Over Ukraine

In 2022, Musk kibitzed that he would challenge Vladimir Putin to “single combat” over the Ukraine war, with the fate of Ukraine as the stake. The tweet tracked quickly, an indication of how unpredictable, and in some quarters controversial, Musk’s online activity can be.

9. He Was a Beta Tester for Video Games

That game was Ratchet & Clank: Going Mobile. Musk did this before he became a billionaire. He still loves to game — he tweets about his favorites often, and even blended in gaming features into Tesla’s infotainment system.

10. He Has a Soft Spot for Memes and Dogecoin

Tweets by Musk about Dogecoin, a joke cryptocurrency, have led to its value soaring on several occasions. His meme-loving side is the complete opposite of the serious characteristic of most CEOs, which makes him a one-of-a-kind figure in the business sector.

Elon Musk is no ordinary billionaire. From subsisting on $1 a day to sending cars into orbit, his life is a tapestry of brilliance and obsession. Whether you love him, hate him or can’t quite decide, there’s no denying Musk is one of the more enigmatic characters of our era, always crossing lines both in business and tech, but also within a strange and joyful subculture online.