Elon Musk’s journey to becoming one of the world’s best-known technology entrepreneurs began long before Tesla and SpaceX.
His academic record includes schooling in South Africa, university studies in Canada and two undergraduate degrees from the United States. He also gained early work experience in banking, energy storage and video games before turning to entrepreneurship.
His academic journey also includes a planned Stanford doctorate that he never pursued.
Musk, the world’s richest person, has an estimated net worth of USD 990.9 billion, according to Forbes’ real-time billionaires list updated on October 9, 2026.
Here’s a detailed look at what he actually studied:
FROM SOUTH AFRICA TO CANADA
Born in Pretoria, South Africa, Musk attended Waterkloof House Preparatory School, Bryanston High School and Pretoria Boys High School. He later spent about five months at the University of Pretoria before moving to Canada in 1989.
In 1990, he enrolled at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. He studied there for two years before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania in 1992.
TWO DEGREES, TWO DIFFERENT FIELDS
At the University of Pennsylvania, Musk studied physics and economics. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in physics from the university’s School of Arts and Sciences and a Bachelor of Science in economics from its Wharton School. Both degrees were officially awarded in 1997.
The combination gave him an academic background in physical sciences and business. He completed his undergraduate studies before moving towards the technology industry.
BANKING BY DAY, TECHNOLOGY BY NIGHT
Musk’s early work experience included an internship at the Bank of Nova Scotia, arranged after he contacted senior executive Peter Nicholson.
In 1994, he also undertook two internships in Silicon Valley. At Pinnacle Research Institute, he gained exposure to energy storage technology, including supercapacitors. At Rocket Science Games, he worked with a video game company.
These experiences exposed him to finance, energy technology and software-related work before he established his first company.
THE STANFORD DOCTORATE HE NEVER COMPLETED
In 1995, Musk was accepted into Stanford University’s graduate programme in Materials Science and Engineering. However, Stanford confirmed to CNN in 2024 that it had no record of him enrolling.
Musk has described leaving the programme after two days to pursue opportunities emerging from the internet boom. He subsequently co-founded Zip2 with his brother, Kimbal Musk.
He therefore holds two undergraduate degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, but no completed Stanford doctorate or postgraduate degree. However, despite his own academic background, Musk has argued that a college degree is not essential for success, emphasising skills and practical ability over formal qualifications.
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