Elon Musk didn't always plan to build his tech empire. In 1995, he struggled to get a job, even failing to secure a position at Netscape despite loitering in their lobby. This rejection led him to start his own company. Musk previously endured difficult jobs in Canada after leaving South Africa at 17. He then moved to the U.S., earned degrees, and attended Stanford before dropping out to bet on the internet. Musk founded Zip2, sold it for $300 million, and continued to create companies like PayPal, Tesla, and SpaceX. His journey from rejection to becoming a visionary started with his relentless determination and persistence.
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00:00Think Elon Musk always planned to build a tech empire?
00:03Not quite.
00:04He just couldn't get a job.
00:06In 1995, Musk applied to internet companies like Netscape and got nothing.
00:11He even loitered in their lobby, too shy to talk to anyone.
00:15His solution?
00:16I guess I'll have to start a company, he said.
00:19Before that, life was tough.
00:21He left South Africa at 17, worked brutal jobs in Canada, shoveling grain, chopping
00:26logs, and crawling into toxic boiler rooms.
00:29One job paid $18 an hour, but could literally cook you alive if you stayed in too long.
00:34Out of 30 people, only three lasted.
00:37Musk was one of them.
00:38Eventually, he earned degrees, got into Stanford, and dropped out.
00:42Why?
00:43He bet everything on the internet.
00:45So he built Zip2, sold it for $300 million, and kept going.
00:48PayPal, Tesla, SpaceX.
00:51The world sees Elon Musk as a visionary.
00:53But it all started with rejection and the decision to keep digging.