In pictures: From buying Twitter to attending Qatar World Cup here are 8 things we learned from the Musk bio

Here are some details about Musk's life and career that have garnered less attention

Published: September 21, 2023 12:52 Compiled by Nivetha Dayanand, Web Editor, with inputs from WP

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Walter Isaacson's new biography of Elon Musk fills in some ‘additional’ details about his life and career that have garnered less attention. Here are some of the questions about the billionaire Tesla and SpaceX CEO that the 688-page book answers, or at least sheds light on - and which Musk has not disputed, at least so far. Image Credit: AP

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Did Musk's father own an emerald mine? | Isaacson reports that Errol Musk once swap a small private airplane for a share of the emeralds from three "small" black-market mines in Zambia. Errol Musk sold the emeralds to jewelers, raking in some $210,000, but the mines went bankrupt in the 1980s and little of the money ever made its way to Elon or his siblings. Image Credit: twitter/@mayemusk

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Why did Musk have Tesla buy Solar City? | Musk's acquisition of SolarCity, a debt-laden solar-panel company run by his cousins, in 2016 was initially motivated by a vision for a solar roof, but his fervor waned after winning a lawsuit over the acquisition. Image Credit: AFP

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Is Musk building a "glass house" in Texas? | Musk's purchase of a horse farm in Texas led to speculation about a glass house design, which he later described as an "art project" and postponed. Image Credit: The Washington Post

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How many offspring does Elon Musk have, and with whom? | Elon Musk and Grimes had a third child in June 2022, named Techno Mechanicus Musk (Tau), making it his 11th known child. Two of those are the twins he fathered with one of his employees, Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis. Image Credit: AP

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Musk has justified his large brood by warning of an "underpopulation crisis" as educated women have fewer children. Zilis tells Isaacson that Musk "really wants smart people to have kids," a stance that could be characterized as a form of eugenics. Image Credit: Twitter

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Why did Musk buy Twitter? | Isaacson's book depicts Musk's decision to buy Twitter as impulsive, and driven more by his psychological demons than logic. Image Credit: Gulf News

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Musk expressed regret at the move on several occasions, according to the book. In a November 2022 meeting with a Tesla design team that was working on the company's idea for self-driving "robotaxis," a "tired and dejected" Musk said of the Twitter acquisition: "I don't know why I did it. The judge basically said I have to buy Twitter or else, and now I'm like, okay, [expletive]." Image Credit: REUTERS

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Why did Twitter botch the Ron DeSantis presidential announcement? | Musk's involvement in moving Twitter servers caused destabilization and the crash that plagued the DeSantis announcement was one of the results. Image Credit: AFP

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Why did Bari Weiss stop contributing to the "Twitter Files?" | Bari Weiss, hired by Musk to investigate Twitter's practices, was cut off after criticizing his actions and questioning his stance on China. Image Credit: Bloomberg

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Why did Musk go to the World Cup in Qatar? | Isaacson reveals that Musk agreed to appear at the World Cup final as part of a deal with a Qatar-based investment fund to help bankroll his purchase of Twitter to the tune of $375 million. Image Credit: Bloomberg

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