Elon Musk is one of the most talked-about figures in the world. Whether it’s his groundbreaking work in tech or his often-controversial public persona, people either love him or can’t stand him. The list of Musk’s critics—both everyday folks and celebrities—continues to grow.
But while the spotlight often highlights the more controversial sides of the Tesla and SpaceX CEO, his journey to success hasn’t been a smooth ride. Yes, he’s a billionaire and, as of 2025, the richest person on the planet, but his life has been far from picture-perfect. Musk himself has been open about his struggles, especially his difficult childhood. He has repeatedly stated that nothing was handed to him on a silver platter.
“I haven’t inherited anything ever from anyone, nor has anyone given me a large financial gift,” he once tweeted. Despite his enormous success, he has endured hardships—many of which have shaped him into the person he is today. Here’s a closer look at the tragic, lesser-known struggles of Elon Musk.
Elon’s childhood marked by bullying
Musk has always been an exceptionally bright individual. From a young age, he was a voracious reader, consuming books across a range of subjects. His mother, Maye Musk, even started his education early because of his advanced intellect. However, this decision had a downside—he was the youngest and smallest in his school, making him an easy target for bullies.
His siblings have recalled how brutal school life was for him in Pretoria, South Africa. “Kids gave Elon a very hard time, and it had a huge impact on his life,” his brother, Kimbal Musk, once said. His sister, Tosca, explained that South African schools were different from those in the U.S. “There was no recourse,” she said. “[Elon] hated it so much.”
And this wasn’t just name-calling or teasing—Musk endured serious physical bullying. One of the worst incidents happened in high school when a verbal spat escalated into a violent attack. Musk was beaten so severely that his face was nearly unrecognizable. His brother Kimbal recalled, “When they got finished, I couldn’t even recognize his face. You could barely see his eyes.”
The injuries sent Musk to the hospital, where he had to recover for a week. But the long-term effects lasted much longer—he later revealed in a 2013 tweet that he suffered from a deviated septum that made breathing difficult, something he only got fixed decades later.
People often assume that Musk came from money, but his upbringing wasn’t one of luxury. While his father, Errol Musk, was well-off, he was also strict and didn’t believe in spoiling his children. Unlike other wealthy families, the Musks didn’t have hired help. “We had to do everything ourselves—clean the house, mow the lawn,” Tosca Musk once shared.
But what made their early life truly difficult was the toxic relationship between Musk’s parents. His mother, Maye, later revealed that Errol was abusive, both emotionally and physically. “He told me over and over that I was stupid, ugly, boring,” she confessed. Despite Errol’s wealth, Maye had no access to it and struggled financially after leaving him.
When Elon was 8, his mother took him and his siblings and left Errol behind. They moved to Canada in 1989, where they lived in a tiny one-bedroom apartment in Toronto. Maye worked multiple jobs to support them. “It took three weeks to clean, then I saved to buy $5 sheets,” she recalled. Musk didn’t even have a bed at first—he slept on the couch.
A Difficult Relationship with His Father
Elon Musk’s strained relationship with his father has been well-documented. As a child, he witnessed Errol’s abuse toward his mother and even attempted to intervene when he was just five years old. But his own relationship with his father wasn’t much better.
Musk has described Errol as a harsh and controlling figure who often belittled him. “It was mental torture,” he said. After being hospitalized from a bullying incident, Musk recalled that his father showed no sympathy and even sided with the bullies. “I had to stand for an hour as he yelled at me and called me an idiot,” Musk revealed.
Despite all this, Musk decided to move in with his father when he was 10 years old. His mother, Maye, believes he was guilt-tripped into doing so. “His evil grandmother made him feel guilty,” she claimed. Looking back, Musk admitted it was a mistake, calling Errol “a terrible human being.”
Elon Musk lost all his money in 2010
Musk is now known for his immense wealth, but there was a time when he was completely broke.
After co-founding Zip2 in 1995, Musk sold the company in 1999 for $307 million, making $22 million from the deal. Instead of playing it safe, he invested half of that into X.com, which later became PayPal. When eBay acquired PayPal in 2002, Musk pocketed $165 million.
Rather than sitting back and enjoying his fortune, he poured all of his money into new ventures—SpaceX and Tesla. By 2010, his finances were in dire straits. According to court documents from his divorce proceedings, Musk admitted he had completely run out of cash and was living off loans from friends.
Elon Musk’s workaholic lifestyle and personal sacrifices
Musk is notorious for his relentless work ethic. He once claimed in a 2018 interview that he hadn’t taken more than a week off since 2001—except for when he caught malaria.
During the chaotic production phase of Tesla’s Model 3, he worked 120-hour weeks, often sleeping on a couch (or the floor) in Tesla’s factory. “There were times when I didn’t leave the factory for three or four days,” he admitted. His extreme dedication meant missing out on personal moments, even nearly skipping his brother’s wedding in Spain.
The intense workload took a toll on his mental and physical health. He admitted to relying on Ambien to sleep and revealed that his stress levels had severe consequences. “It’s not been great, actually,” he said about his health.
Elon Musk’s struggles with mental health
Despite his public persona, Musk has been open about his struggles with mental health. At the 2023 DealBook Summit, he described having “demons of the mind”—thoughts that fuel his creativity but also lead to dark moments.
In 2024, he told Don Lemon that he experiences periods of deep sadness, which he compared to depression. However, he’s been critical of traditional antidepressants, stating that they can “zombify people.” Instead, he revealed that he takes small doses of ketamine under medical supervision, claiming it helps shift his mindset.
Musk’s mental health struggles date back to childhood. He recalled experiencing an existential crisis at the age of 12 after reading various religious and philosophical texts. “Isn’t it all pointless? Why exist?” he remembered asking himself.
Elon Musk’s journey to becoming the world’s richest man has been filled with struggles—some personal, some financial, and some emotional. From being bullied as a child to nearly losing everything in 2010, his life has been far from easy.
Love him or hate him, Musk’s resilience and work ethic have shaped him into the influential figure he is today. Whether his critics acknowledge it or not, his path to success wasn’t just paved with privilege—it was built through hardship, sacrifice, and an unrelenting drive to succeed.