Elon Musk
Corsa DeCenzo
7/8 Writer's Workshop E
Elon Musk, the renowned entrepreneur, inventor and change maker, has transformed modern technology. The life of an inventor who is pushing our economy and technology forward. Musk is a role model change maker, as not only does he own multiple innovative companies, he has also been pushing our economy forward, and changing the environment for the better.
Elon was born June 28, 1971 in South Africa. Elon moved to Canada with his family to avoid mandatory military service. In Canada, he attended Queen's University, then he transferred to University of Pennsylvania. At University of Pennsylvania, Elon acquired two bachelor's degrees in physics and an graduate degree in economics. After Musk Graduated he moved to California so that he could attend Stanford and pursue a PhD in energy physics. However he dropped out of Stanford after only two days. Elon had bigger plans he was at the doorstep of the Internet boom and he was ready to knock.
During the beginning of the Internet boom Elon started his first of many companies, Zip2. Zip2 was an online city guide that provided map service for the New York Times online and the Chicago Tribune. Zip2 was quickly bought by Compaq Computer Corporation for $307 million in cash and $34 million in stock options. Shortly after, Elon helped co-fund X.com, now know as PayPal. PayPal or X.com was an online financial service and payment company. PayPal was bought in 2002 by eBay for 1.5 Billion in stock. At the time Elon owned 11% of stock in PayPal. PayPal has transformed the mobile payment market.
Musk went on to pursue other companies with the focus of developing technology to reduce pollution. With the money Elon generated from the sale of PayPal, Elon started two companies, Tesla and SpaceX. Tesla was Elon’s experiment. Tesla was created to produce energy efficient cars that don't pollute the environment. Tesla has been a huge success, providing Musk with a greater fortune. Tesla also pioneered the self driving car, bringing the dream to reality for consumers. SolarCity was Elon’s way to get solar panels to consumers, saving energy and creating clean free energy. SpaceX was Elons backyard experiment. SpaceX was started to bring space exploration more to the public view. Not only that but Elon was looking for a way to reuse expensive, resource intensive rockets. SpaceX, Tesla, and SolarCity have all innovated and transformed modern day business.
Elon’s companies are a huge impact on our economy, creating more jobs and providing different products. His influence on the car markets extremely influence the big electric revolution. His solar panels are providing power for Puerto Rico after Hurricane Irma. His rockets are at the edge of technology pioneering space exploration. Paypal is revolutionising business transactions and the way business is performed. Without Musk our country’s economy would be
Musk's companies still continue today, profiting and making the world a greater place. Elon will definitely continue to send cars into space providing “Epic views”, and continue to incorporate easter eggs and go on with his mischief. I also have no doubt Musk will come up with other amazing business some that hopefully aren't so Boring. Musk's companies will be the future, transforming the world .
Sources:
“Elon Musk Biography.” Biography, A&E Television Networks, www.biography.com/people/elon-musk-20837159.
account, Elon Musk Verified. “Elon Musk (@Elonmusk).” Twitter, Twitter, twitter.com/elonmusk?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor.
