**Who is Elon Musk and What is His Net Worth?**

Elon Musk is a prominent billionaire known for his role as CEO of multiple groundbreaking companies, including X (formerly Twitter), Tesla, and SpaceX. Often in the news, he is recognized as the world’s richest person with an estimated net worth of around $228 billion, mainly from his Tesla shares, which he owns over 13% of.

### Early Life and Career
– **Born:** Pretoria, South Africa (1971)
– **Early Entrepreneurship:** Sold chocolate Easter eggs and created a video game at age 12.
– **Education:** Studied physics and economics at the University of Pennsylvania; dropped out of Stanford’s PhD program to start tech ventures.
– **Key Business Ventures:**
– Co-founded PayPal, sold to eBay for $1.5 billion in 2002.
– Founded SpaceX in 2002 and became CEO of Tesla in 2008.
– Acquired Twitter in October 2022, renamed it X, aimed to transform it into an “everything app”.

### Controversies and Business Style
– Known for unpredictable business tactics and lawsuits.
– Combines lofty ambitions with public domain arguments and personal disputes, dubbed a “mad genius”.
– Strives for significant societal impacts rather than just profits, yet maintains a workaholic reputation.

### Political Views and Social Issues
– Initially politically moderate, Musk has recently endorsed Donald Trump.
– Engaged in global issues, providing Starlink to Ukraine but faced backlash for other decisions.
– Expresses concerns about AI’s existential risks and advocates for addressing climate change through Tesla.

### Personal Life
– Divorced three times, with a total of 12 children from various relationships.
– Publicly discusses underpopulation concerns.

In summary, Elon Musk is a complex figure whose entrepreneurial ventures, political beliefs, and personal controversies continue to generate significant public interest.