{"id":65468,"date":"2022-04-03T19:34:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-03T23:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=65468"},"modified":"2022-05-09T10:15:05","modified_gmt":"2022-05-09T14:15:05","slug":"elon-musk-early-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/elon-musk-early-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Elon Musk’s Early Life: From Childhood to College"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What was Elon Musk’s early life<\/a> like? Where was Elon Musk born and raised? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elon Musk’s early life was difficult in that he felt like an outsider growing up in South Africa. He also was bullied and struggled with the divorce of his parents. On the bright side, he grew up with the freedom and resources to explore his interests and was eventually able to move to Canada to attend college. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to learn more about Elon Musk’s early life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Elon Musk’s Childhood<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Elon Musk was born in South Africa in 1971. Vance describes how in Elon Musk’s early life, Musk felt like an outsider since he was a quiet, nerdy child. He spent most of his time reading, even consuming encyclopedias after he\u2019d read all of the books at local libraries. Because of his photographic memory, he remembered specific facts and could accurately recite them. Using this knowledge, he often corrected people, thus gaining a reputation as a know-it-all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trevor Noah and Growing Up in Apartheid<\/a> in South Africa<\/strong>

Vance mentions that while Musk \u201cenjoyed a level of privilege,\u201d he felt like an outsider growing up because his nerdy interests and reserved personality differed from the hypermasculine values of South African culture. But Vance doesn\u2019t expand on one aspect of Elon Musk’s early life that would have given him an automatic privilege in his particular circumstances\u2014the racial tensions that existed in South Africa at the time and \u201cthe level of privilege\u201d Musk had as a white person growing up during apartheid. 

Apartheid<\/a>\u2014meaning separateness or aparthood\u2014was a system of institutionalized racial segregation<\/a> in South Africa, with the white minority dominating the social, political, and financial spheres. Blacks were to have no rights and be constantly monitored and controlled. At its core, apartheid was like a combination of the Indian massacres, slavery, and Jim Crow<\/a> in America. 

Like Musk, comedian Trevor Noah grew up in South Africa, but as a mixed-race person\u2014which was illegal\u2014he experienced a much different, more hateful side of South Africa than Musk did. In Born a Crime<\/em><\/a>, Noah explains how he spent most of his childhood indoors to hide his complexion<\/a> and how he didn\u2019t have friends because he couldn\u2019t legally play with them, not because they had different interests from his. He also personally saw the violence of apartheid, such as when his mother threw him off of a moving bus since the bus driver wouldn\u2019t stop for them or when his step-father shot his mother twice. Noah\u2019s account provides more context on what life in South Africa looked like and how Musk\u2019s privilege gave him advantages when navigating society.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Parental Troubles<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Elon Musk’s early life wasn’t always easy. When Musk was eight years old, his parents divorced, and his mother Maye moved the three children to the Musk\u2019s holiday home on the east coast of South Africa. After a few years, Musk decided to live with his father, Errol. Vance notes that Musk wouldn\u2019t go into great detail about his father, but he acknowledged that Errol was a difficult person to be around, inflicted a level of psychological torture on him, made his life miserable, and dismissed Musk\u2019s dream of moving to America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: While Musk doesn\u2019t explain the specifics of what made Errol a difficult father, Maye provided more insight in her memoir A Woman Makes a Plan<\/em><\/a>. She explains that Errol was manipulative and abusive\u2014physically, financially, and emotionally<\/a>. In another interview, Musk supported her claim, stating Errol was physically violent with him when Musk was very young.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social Problems<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Musk\u2019s bookishness and know-it-all reputation set him apart from his peers, and he was beaten and bullied by a group of boys for several years. Vance noted that this was one of the most difficult experiences in Elon Musk’s early life. The bullying finally stopped when he switched to a different high school with a more peaceful environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Musk is one of many successful people who were the victims of childhood bullying<\/a>. For example, Steve Jobs, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, singer Rihanna, and Duchess Kate Middleton are just a few notable people who were bullied as children. The reasons for the bullying varied\u2014race, disposition, personal interests, appearance, intelligence, or physical size\u2014but all stem from being viewed as different. Often the traits they were bullied for are now part of their success, indicating resilience and embracing these different features are key to success and overcoming the long-term negative effects of bullying.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Developing Lifelong Interests<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

But Elon Musk’s early life also had its perks\u2014Musk had the freedom and resources to explore what interested him:<\/p>\n\n\n\n