Elon Reeve Musk was born on June 28, 1971, in Pretoria, South Africa. From a young age, he showed an interest in computing and technology, teaching himself computer programming by the age of 12. After attending Queen’s University in Canada, he transferred to the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned degrees in economics and physics. Musk then moved to California to pursue a Ph.D. at Stanford but left after two days to pursue a career in business and technology.