Is Elon Musk a U.S. Citizen? All About the Tech Billionaire’s Background – Hollywood Life

Elon Musk has remained an active figure during President Donald Trump’s administration, particularly as the head of the newly established non-governmental agency, the Department of Government Efficiency.

However, as Trump’s second term increasingly focused on immigration, questions arose about whether the South African-born tech billionaire was even a U.S. citizen.

Read on to learn more about Musk’s birthplace, his citizenship status, and other details.

Where Was Elon Musk Born?

Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa, on June 28, 1971, to a Canadian mother and a South African father.

Is Elon Musk an American Citizen?

Musk became a U.S. citizen in 2002.

Prior to that, at the age of 17 in 1988, he moved to Canada to attend university and avoid mandatory military service in South Africa. He also obtained Canadian citizenship that year. Musk later explained in 2013 that he came to North America because he believed it was the place to pursue great opportunities in technology.

His move to Canada aligned with his enrollment at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, where he studied for two years before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania in 1992. Five years later, he graduated with bachelor’s degrees in economics and physics.

Musk then moved to Stanford University to pursue a doctorate in energy physics. However, as the internet boom was taking off, he chose to leave Stanford just two days later to seize the opportunities in the emerging tech industry.

An October 2024 report from The Washington Post revealed that Musk worked in the U.S. without the proper authorization at the beginning of his career.

What Is Elon Musk’s Net Worth?

Musk is the first person to exceed a net worth of $400 billion, with an estimated value of $406.7 billion as of February 5, 2025, according to Forbes’ Real-Time Billionaires List.

Is Elon Musk Married?

Musk married his first wife, Justine Wilson, in 2000. Together, they had six children before divorcing in 2008. He then married English actress Talulah Riley in 2010. The couple divorced but later remarried, only to finalize their second divorce in 2016.

How Many Kids Does Elon Musk Have?

Musk has a total of twelve children. He shares six children with his ex-wife, Justine Wilson, including their firstborn, a son named Nevada, who tragically passed away as an infant. Later, Musk had three children with musician Grimes, whose legal name is Claire Elise Boucher. Additionally, he has twins and another child with tech executive Shivon Zilis.