HOW DID ELON MUSK BECOME THE RICHEST MAN IN THE WORLD?

In January 2021, Elon Musk became the richest person in the world. How did he create such wealth?

Is it so strange to believe that it was almost inevitable that Elon Musk would become so wealthy? Considering he sold his first software program at just 12-years-old, this type of wealth was always on the cards.

Musk was born to wealthy parents on the sunny shores of South Africa. He was introduced to computers at the age of 10, taught himself to code, and sold his first computer game, called Blastar, two years later.

When he was 17, he moved to Canada to attend Queens University and to avoid mandatory conscription into SA's military. Because his mother was a Canadian, it was easy for Musk to do the same. But, this was just a stepping stone to realising his dream of moving to America.

Three years later, he entered the US to attend the University of Pennsylvania, attaining Bachelor's degrees in economics and physics. By now, he was just 20-years-old.

He then moved to Stanford University to study a PhD in energy physics but left after only two days. Instead of higher learning, Elon and his brother, Kimbal, had decided to take advantage of the rising internet.

They launched an online city directory called Zip2 in 1995, selling it four years later for an astonishing $307 million.

From there, it's been company-after-company, starting with X.com and PayPal, SpaceX, Tesla, SolarCity, Neuralink and The Boring Company.

It's a story of hard graft, achieving lofty heights and looking into the eyes of bankruptcy. Elon's never-say-die attitude and enigmatic demeanour have seen him rub some the wrong way while endearing him to others.

Ultimately, though, his vision for humanity – both here on Earth and out among the stars – is enthralling. The video below, from The Infographics Show, takes us on a trip of Musk's life to date, illustrating how a young boy from the tip of Africa has made it to the top of the wealthy pile.

So go ahead, hit play and see how Elon Musk became the richest man in the world.