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Vance, Ashlee. Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future. First Ecco paperback edition, Ecco, 2017.

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Elon Musk was born on June 28, 1971, in Pretoria, south Africa. He develops an early interest in computing and technology.

Quote #1

"Born in 1971, he grew up in Pretoria, a large city in the northeastern part of South Africa" (25)

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At 17, Musk moves to Canada to attend Queen's University, seeking a better education and opportunities. and to avoid the south African military service.

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Musk transferred to the University of Pennsylvania and earns a degree in physics and economics.

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musk co-founded with his brother and the company provides online city guides to newspapers.

Quote #2

"The zip2 idea was ingenious. few small businesses in 1995 understood the ramifications of the internet." (61)

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Compaq acquired zip2 for 300 million, earning Elon Musk $22 million from the deal.

Quote #3

"Then, in February 1999, the pc maker Compaq Computers offered to pay $307 million in cash for Zip2" (72)

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musk created X.com, an online financial service platform that later became PayPal.

Quote #4

"pegged x.com as his chance to make a mark on the world of banking whiz." (82)

"As X.com became more popular and its transaction volume exploded." (87)

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X.com merged with confinity, which led to the creation that focused on online payments.

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eBay purchased PayPal for $1.5 billion, with Musk receiving $165 million from the sale

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Musk founded Space Exploration Technologies Corp.(SpaceX) to reduce space exploration costs and go to Mars.

Quote #5

"His fears that mankind had lost much of its will to push the boundaries were reinforced one day when Musk went to the NASA website. he'd expected to find a detailed plan for exploring Mars and instead found bupkis." (101)

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Musk invests in and becomes the chairman of tesla motors, aiming to produce electric cars

Quote #6

"Musk promised Straubel $10,000 of the $100,000 he was seeking. On the spot, Musk and Straubel formed a kinship that would survive more than a decade of extreme highs and lows they were set out to do nothing less than change the world." (149)

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Musk Co-founded SolarCity, focusing on solar energy services aligning with his vision for tesla.

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#12 - First SpaceX Falcon 1 launch (2006)

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#12 - First SpaceX Falcon 1 launch (2006)

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SpaceX attempts there first rocket launch, which ends in failure, which shows the toughness of space exploration

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Tesla unveils the Roadster, its first electric sports car which demonstrates the potential.

Quote #7

"When Francis got ready to buy a roadster, He stopped by Musk's house and handed a yellow envelope with $100,000 in cash." (184)

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After the failures, Falcon 1 successfully reaches which makes SpaceX the first Private company to do it.

Quote #8

"The Falcon 9 had a successful test fire in Texas with all 9 of its engines lighting up and producing 850,000 pounds of thrust." (198)

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#15 - NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) contract (2008)

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#15 - NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) contract (2008)

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SpaceX secures a $1.6 billion billion contract with NASA to deliver cargo to the International Space Station (ISS)

Quote #8

"The company received $1.6 billion as payment for twelve flights to the space station"

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in a financial crisis, Musk invested personal funds to keep Tesla afloat, which showed his commitment to the company and his mission

Quote #9

"When Musk ran the calculations concerning SpaceX and Tesla, it occurred to him that only one company would likely even have a chance of survival." (206)

"As 2008 came to an end, musk had run out of money" (206)

"Musk no longer flew his jet back and forth between Los Angles and silicon valley he took southwest" (207)

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Tesla announces the Model s, an all-electric sedan, aiming to broaden its appeal of electric cars.

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SolarCity becomes the largest solar provider in the U.S., advancing Musk's power with the U.S. Power Complex

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SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft successfully docks with the international space station (ISS) which marked a milestone in the space Industry.

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Tesla released the Model S which led to them receiving many awards and helped them establish Tesla as it it today is the 9th largest company just under Berkshire Hathaway with a market cap of $942 billion

Quote # 10

"he began to talk about tesla's goal to become the most profitable major automobile maker in the world" (301)

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SpaceX Makes history

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SpaceX Makes History as Dragon Docks with ISS

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Space Foundation Corporate Member SpaceX celebrated historic success with the May 22 launch of its Falcon 9 rocket and May 25 docking of the Dragon

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PayPal Merger

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PayPal: A Merger of Enemies That Reshaped Silicon Valley

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Crucible Moments, EP1, learn how PayPal navigated a merger between enemies, a battle against fraud and pursuing an IPO following the dot-com crash.

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eBay M&A

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Ending months of speculation, the online auction giant announces a stock deal to buy the leading online payments company.

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Tesla Roadster Launch

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Joe Corrigan

Many have tried, but only one automaker has successfully entered into the stage of mass production in the United States over the last century: Tesla. Chrysler was founded in 1925, for those keeping track. Tesla was the first American automaker to go public since Ford in 1956. Most of that success has been credited to CEO Elon Musk's force of personality, but overlooked in the discussion, often, is the cars themselves, some of which, like the Model S, were game changers.

Today, America's electric car manufacturer was worth more in August, 2024 than the next six companies combined, including Toyota, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and BMW. With more than 1.22 million sold, the Model Y was also the best-selling production car globally in 2023. Not bad for a startup that barely managed to get its first car, the Roadster, into production at all.

These days, the Tesla Roadster is a little forgotten, but it marked a monumental shift in the automotive realm. Indeed, introducing an eye-catching sports car before going mass market is the standard playbook for many a car startup but the key difference with Tesla is that, for once, it actually worked. We'll consider that the first reason why it's a future classic. Here are six more.

It's based on the Lotus Elise

The fact that Tesla built the Roadster from the underpinnings of a vehicle that is itself collectible adds to the electric car's appeal. Lotus has an impressive history, and the Elise stands out as the most popular model ever offered by the British automaker.

Tesla signed a deal in 2005 that paved the way for Lotus to assemble the Roadster's rolling chassis. Due to the thousand-pound battery pack and vastly different packaging requirements, the Roadster's wheelbase is about two inches longer than the Elise. Tesla says the resulting package is stiffer than the Elise, which is good since the Roadster weighs around 700 pounds more than the lithe British machine.

It was inspired by the AC Propulsion tZero

Haven't heard of the tZero? That's OK, just know it was the vehicle that prompted the development of the Tesla Roadster. The name has many meanings, from its origins as a mathematical symbol to its recent adoption as a cryptocurrency, but the tZero we're interested in was produced by AC Propulsion, a company that specializes in producing alternating-current motors.

Only three tZeros were built, but those triplets were enough to entice several wealthy businessmen into a belief that electric vehicles were the wave of the future. One of those interested parties was Martin Eberhard, who is perhaps most directly responsible for launching Elon Musk, who represents the biggest reason Tesla is now so successful, similarly took an interest in the tZero.

A tZero is currently on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum in California.

It was the first production car to use lithium-ion batteries (6,831 of them)

The tZero used a powertrain that was well ahead of its time in 1996. Still, it was saddled with old-school lead-acid batteries. In 2003 the tZero was fitted with lithium-ion cells that reduced its weight by 500 pounds and improved performance dramatically.

Tesla took the lithium-fueled idea and ran with it. By the time the Roadster launched in 2008, it had a massive battery pack made up of 6,831 individual lithium ion cells similar to what you'd find inside a laptop computer.

There's a Tesla Roadster somewhere in space

On February 6, 2018, Elon Musk launched his personal Tesla Roadster into space. In the driver's seat sits Starman, a dummy dressed in a space suit listening to the David Bowie classic "Space Oddity." Seriously.

As the first car ever launched out of Earth's atmosphere, it's not surprising that there's a dedicated website tracking the 2010 Roadster's location in space. As of this writing, Starman and his Tesla chariot have traveled around the sun four times. If the battery were still functional, he'd have heard Bowie belt out his famous jam more than 650,000 times. And you think you get tired of hearing the same songs on the radio every day.

It ignited a firestorm when it was tested by Top Gear

Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May will forever be linked to the Tesla Roadster, whether they like it or not. The Roadster was tested in season 12, and the video review was, to put it mildly, controversial.

Clarkson said the Roadster ran out of juice after just 55 miles of heavy use that included plenty of time at a race track. He further claimed it would take 16 hours to recharge, broke down while testing, and suffered a brake failure. The segment included footage of a silver Roadster being pushed into a garage.

Tesla countered that the battery never dropped below 20 percent, that it would recharge in just 3.5 hours, and that the only problem suffered during Top Gear's testing was a blown fuse. Musk claimed that the video was scripted, leading to a lawsuit that was eventually dismissed. To this day, arguments arise from both sides regarding the review's legitimacy.

Less than 2,500 were produced

Rarity doesn't guarantee collectibility, but it doesn't hurt. Tesla sold around 2,450 Roadsters between 2008 and 2012. Its contract with Lotus was for 2,500 rolling gliders, and not all of those ended up as saleable products.

The Tesla Roadster was launched in 2008 and got its first significant update for the 2010 model year. Less than a year later, another update refined things further and was referred to as Roadster 2.5. In 2015 and 2016, Tesla offered Roadster owners a $29,000 upgrade to Roadster 3.0 specifications, complete with a brand-new battery pack using better cells.

If you're looking to put a first-generation Tesla Roadster in your garage for safekeeping and want to maximize its potential collectibility, a Roadster 3.0 model might be your best bet. Another option would be to look for one of the earliest 2008 Roadsters, as first-year cars are sometimes more valuable to collectors.

It's based on the Lotus Elise

The fact that Tesla built the Roadster from the underpinnings of a vehicle that is itself collectible adds to the electric car's appeal. Lotus has an impressive history, and the Elise stands out as the most popular model ever offered by the British automaker.

Tesla signed a deal in 2005 that paved the way for Lotus to assemble the Roadster's rolling chassis. Due to the thousand-pound battery pack and vastly different packaging requirements, the Roadster's wheelbase is about two inches longer than the Elise. Tesla says the resulting package is stiffer than the Elise, which is good since the Roadster weighs around 700 pounds more than the lithe British machine.

It was inspired by the AC Propulsion tZero

Haven't heard of the tZero? That's OK, just know it was the vehicle that prompted the development of the Tesla Roadster. The name has many meanings, from its origins as a mathematical symbol to its recent adoption as a cryptocurrency, but the tZero we're interested in was produced by AC Propulsion, a company that specializes in producing alternating-current motors.

Only three tZeros were built, but those triplets were enough to entice several wealthy businessmen into a belief that electric vehicles were the wave of the future. One of those interested parties was Martin Eberhard, who is perhaps most directly responsible for launching Elon Musk, who represents the biggest reason Tesla is now so successful, similarly took an interest in the tZero.

A tZero is currently on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum in California.

It was the first production car to use lithium-ion batteries (6,831 of them)

The tZero used a powertrain that was well ahead of its time in 1996. Still, it was saddled with old-school lead-acid batteries. In 2003 the tZero was fitted with lithium-ion cells that reduced its weight by 500 pounds and improved performance dramatically.

Tesla took the lithium-fueled idea and ran with it. By the time the Roadster launched in 2008, it had a massive battery pack made up of 6,831 individual lithium ion cells similar to what you'd find inside a laptop computer.

There's a Tesla Roadster somewhere in space

On February 6, 2018, Elon Musk launched his personal Tesla Roadster into space. In the driver's seat sits Starman, a dummy dressed in a space suit listening to the David Bowie classic "Space Oddity." Seriously.

As the first car ever launched out of Earth's atmosphere, it's not surprising that there's a dedicated website tracking the 2010 Roadster's location in space. As of this writing, Starman and his Tesla chariot have traveled around the sun four times. If the battery were still functional, he'd have heard Bowie belt out his famous jam more than 650,000 times. And you think you get tired of hearing the same songs on the radio every day.

It ignited a firestorm when it was tested by Top Gear

Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May will forever be linked to the Tesla Roadster, whether they like it or not. The Roadster was tested in season 12, and the video review was, to put it mildly, controversial.

Clarkson said the Roadster ran out of juice after just 55 miles of heavy use that included plenty of time at a race track. He further claimed it would take 16 hours to recharge, broke down while testing, and suffered a brake failure. The segment included footage of a silver Roadster being pushed into a garage.

Tesla countered that the battery never dropped below 20 percent, that it would recharge in just 3.5 hours, and that the only problem suffered during Top Gear's testing was a blown fuse. Musk claimed that the video was scripted, leading to a lawsuit that was eventually dismissed. To this day, arguments arise from both sides regarding the review's legitimacy.

Less than 2,500 were produced

Rarity doesn't guarantee collectibility, but it doesn't hurt. Tesla sold around 2,450 Roadsters between 2008 and 2012. Its contract with Lotus was for 2,500 rolling gliders, and not all of those ended up as saleable products.

The Tesla Roadster was launched in 2008 and got its first significant update for the 2010 model year. Less than a year later, another update refined things further and was referred to as Roadster 2.5. In 2015 and 2016, Tesla offered Roadster owners a $29,000 upgrade to Roadster 3.0 specifications, complete with a brand-new battery pack using better cells.

If you're looking to put a first-generation Tesla Roadster in your garage for safekeeping and want to maximize its potential collectibility, a Roadster 3.0 model might be your best bet. Another option would be to look for one of the earliest 2008 Roadsters, as first-year cars are sometimes more valuable to collectors.

Jaguar

Camping

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How the Tesla Roadster Changed Automotive History

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The Tesla Roadster is almost forgotten, but it changed automotive history.

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SolarCity

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Elon Musk’s Most Impressive Company Isn’t Tesla or SpaceX. It’s SolarCity.

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There’s a huge, ongoing, and justifiable obsession with Elon Musk and his ventures—chiefly Tesla, the electric car manufacturer, and SpaceX, his…