Elon Musk born in Pretoria, South Africa

Elon Musk is born in Pretoria, the eldest child of South African engineer Errol and Maye, nee Haldeman, a Canadian fashion model. He spends part of his childhood in the suburb of Waterkloof and graduates from Pretoria Boys High School.

He reads for many hours a day during childhood and enjoys comic books and J.R.R. Tolkien’s writing. He discusses science and computers with his brother Kimbal, and sister, Tosca, and debates computers with his father, who divorces from his mother. Instead of hiring domestic help, the children do chores, unlike many other wealthy South African families at the time.

I guess I was a bit of an autocratic father – do this, do that…I was a single parent, and they simply had to help out.

He develops the ambition to migrate to the U.S. during childhood, to escape a South African society that he views as oppressive under apartheid.