Elon Musk’s nine major businesses, from Zip2 to a rocket-powered Tesla Roadster

Elon Musk’s business empire spans nine major ventures, from online payments and electric cars to reusable rockets and brain implants. On Thursday, October 15, 2026, Tesla unveiled a redesigned Roadster fitted with rocket-style thrusters developed with SpaceX.

The demonstration showed the car briefly lifting into the air, turning and landing. Tesla said production would begin in 2028. The demonstration did not establish that the vehicle could sustain long-distance flight like an aircraft.

Maps, payments and rockets

Musk co-founded Zip2 with his brother Kimbal in 1995. The company provided online business directories, city guides and maps that helped newspapers establish an internet presence. Compaq acquired Zip2 in 1999 in a deal worth more than $300 million.

He founded X.com, an online financial services company, in 1999. It later merged with Confinity, which operated a digital payment service, and the combined business became PayPal. eBay acquired PayPal in 2002 for $1.5 billion in stock. Musk was among its largest shareholders, and the proceeds helped finance later investments.

Musk founded SpaceX in 2002 to reduce space transportation costs. Its Falcon 9 rockets use reusable boosters that return to Earth and land after launch. SpaceX also developed the Dragon spacecraft for cargo and astronauts. Its Starship programme targets Earth orbit, the Moon and Mars.

Tesla, Starlink and Neuralink

Musk joined Tesla as an early investor in 2004 and became chief executive in 2008. Tesla introduced the Roadster in 2008 before expanding to the Model S, Model X, Model 3 and Model Y. It did not invent electric cars, but it commercialised electric vehicles, battery technology, charging infrastructure and driver-assistance systems at scale. It also develops energy storage products.

Starlink is SpaceX’s satellite internet service. It uses satellites in low Earth orbit and ground terminals to provide broadband connectivity in areas with limited or unreliable conventional infrastructure.

Neuralink was founded in 2016. It develops technology intended to connect the human brain with computers and other devices. Its implants record neural activity, while software interprets signals to enable device control. The company aims to help people with paralysis interact with digital technology. Brain-computer interfaces remain an evolving field, with questions around safety, privacy and long-term effects.

Tunnels, AI and the Roadster

The Boring Company develops tunnels and alternative transport routes beneath congested cities. Its Vegas Loop project uses underground tunnels and vehicles to move passengers between destinations.

Musk founded xAI in 2023 to develop artificial intelligence systems. Its product, Grok, is an AI assistant associated with his social media platform, X.

The redesigned Tesla Roadster, unveiled on October 15, 2026, features rocket-style thrusters developed with SpaceX. The vehicle lifted briefly into the air, turned and landed. Tesla plans production for 2028, but the demonstration showed short airborne manoeuvres rather than sustained flight over long distances.

Musk has not personally invented every product associated with him. His contributions have included founding companies, investing in businesses and overseeing teams that develop new technologies. Many of the innovations reflect the work of engineers, scientists and teams beyond Musk himself.

Earlier, Musk reclaimed trillionaire status after Tesla and SpaceX gains added $22 billion to his estimated fortune. Tesla’s China-made vehicle sales rose 5%.