His brother Kimbal, 53, speaks candidly about Elon’s condition, how it impacts his life
Elon Musk, 54, may be the world's richest man, known for leading the disruption of industries from autos and energy to space and brain implants.
But little is known about Elon's hidden condition: He has Asperter's Syndrome.
He publicly revealed the condition during a “Saturday Night Live” monologue, even joking about his "social awkwardness".
He said: “To anyone who I’ve offended [with my tweets], I just want to say I reinvented electric cars, and I'm sending people to Mars in a rocket ship. Did you think I was also going to be a chill, normal dude?”
electric cars and Mars missions are clear. But not everyone got what he meant by what he, in effect, admitted about not being a "normal dude".
Now, Elon's brother Kimbal, 53, has spoken candidly about Elon’s condition, describing how it impacts his social interactions and "unique" way of thinking.
He credits the condition for Elon's huge accomplishments.
His brother Kimbal Musk has described how Asperger’s shapes Elon’s unique mind and social style.
In an interview, Kimbal said, “Elon has limited empathy... which can make connecting emotionally challenging. But it’s also what makes him a genius in other ways.”
He explained that Elon’s intense focus and unconventional thinking come partly from Asperger’s, which affects both his success and social interactions
Elon himself opened up more about living with Asperger’s at TED2022, explaining that “the social cues were not intuitive” and that he would take things very literally before realizing people often mean more than their words.
He said, “I found it rewarding to spend all night programming computers, just by myself… But I think that is not normal.”
Kimbal also shared how Elon's obsession with physics and trying to decode complexities, including computer software. At age 12, Elon taught himself to write code and created his a computer game Blastar, and later sold it for $500 against his parents' wishes.
Understanding life’s meaning drives Elon Musk, saying his goal is to “expand the scope and scale of consciousness so that we may better understand the nature of the universe.”
Together, Kimbal’s observations and Elon’s own words paint a picture of a brilliant but socially different person.
Asperger’s affects Elon’s empathy and social skills also fuels his remarkable ability to focus, innovate, and think differently — a strickler for "first pricinciples thinking" — first making him who he is today.
Elon publicly announced his Asperger’s diagnosis in 2021 on SNL.
Asperger’s makes social cues hard for him, leading to a literal interpretation of language and social awkwardness.
His brother Kimbal says Asperger’s limits Elon’s empathy but contributes to his genius and intense focus.
Elon embraces his differences, seeing his obsessive thinking as a gift that drives his groundbreaking work.
This candid insight offers a deeper understanding of how Asperger’s plays a complex role in shaping Elon's extraordinary life and achievements.
Sign up for the Daily Briefing
Get the latest news and updates straight to your inbox