The Risk Behind the Rise

This is Elon Musk. And this is how he became the world's first trillionaire. When he was just a baby, he learned programming and sold a video game for $500. >> Hmm, I was actually 12. >> After that, he moved from South Africa to Canada, then to the US. First company, Zip2, sold in 1999 for $307 million. Next, x.com. It later became PayPal. In 2002, PayPal is sold to eBay for $1.5 billion. Musk's share, $180 million. And then, he does something most people never do. >> Well, let's go all in. >> He invested nearly all of it, $100 million into SpaceX, $70 million into Tesla, and $10 million into SolarCity. [music] He later said he even had to borrow money for rent. And in 2008, he nearly lost it all. SpaceX, three rocket failures. Tesla is weeks away from bankruptcy. For a short period, both companies are close to collapsing. But then in 2008, SpaceX's fourth Falcon 1 launch finally succeeded. Tesla secures emergency funding at the end of 2008. After that, the trajectory shifts, and Musk's net worth grows into the highest levels in the world.