Elon Musk's Key Startups: Founded, Sold, and Still Leading Innovative Companies

Elon Musk, the world's richest person, has seen his wealth soar to $420.9 billion (KSh 54.5 trillion) as of mid-January 2025, according to Forbes. Known for his groundbreaking innovations and entrepreneurial ventures, Musk has secured his place as a self-made billionaire with a score of eight (8) on Forbes' scale. His wealth has come from a series of successful companies, including PayPal, which he co-founded and sold, and which continues to thrive today.

Musk's journey to becoming the richest person on earth started with Zip2, his first company, which he co-founded with his brother Kimbal in 1995. The online business directory was sold to Compaq in 1999 for $307 million (KSh 37.4 billion), marking Musk's first big financial success. He then co-founded X.com, an online bank, in 1999, which later merged with Confinity to form PayPal. In 2002, PayPal was sold to eBay for $1.5 billion (KSh 182.8 billion), giving Musk further financial leverage. PayPal is now one of the most popular online payment platforms globally, with over 73 million new accounts.

Musk also played a significant role in the growth of SolarCity, a solar energy company founded by his cousins in 2006. He invested $10 million (KSh 1.3 billion) into the company and later sold it to Tesla Energy in 2016 for $2.6 billion (KSh 336.6 billion), further consolidating his wealth. In 2015, Musk co-founded OpenAI, an artificial intelligence research company, with an initial investment of $50 million (KSh 6.5 billion). However, Musk resigned from the OpenAI board in 2018.

Despite selling these companies, Musk's influence and holdings continue to grow. In 2022, he acquired Twitter for $44 billion (KSh 5.3 trillion), gaining full control of the social media giant after a lengthy litigation process. Musk's acquisition of Twitter has cemented his status as a key figure in the tech world.

In addition to his existing ventures, Musk has expressed interest in buying other assets. Reports in January 2025 indicated that Chinese authorities explored the possibility of Musk acquiring TikTok to prevent a ban. His father, Errol Musk, also mentioned that Elon has shown interest in purchasing the English Premier League club Liverpool, although it is not currently for sale. With his vast fortune, Musk could easily afford such acquisitions, with Liverpool valued at $5.3 billion (KSh 686.4 billion).

Musk's net worth continues to rise, with his various investments in space exploration, electric vehicles, social media, and more shaping the future of technology and business.