Investing.com - With the latest stumble of his electric car company Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), Elon Musk is facing another challenge, which is par for the course in his storied career as an entrepreneur.Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa in 1971, and managed to teach himself computer programming before he was in high school. He moved to Canada to attend Queens University, but then transferred to the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned degrees in economics and physics.After a brief attempt at earning a Ph.D. in physics at Stanford University in 1995, Musk began his entrepreneurial career. In quick succession, he started Zip2, a web software company, and Xcon, an online payment company, making a fortune when they were sold.In 2002, Musk founded SpaceX, an aerospace manufacturing and space transport company. Known for its series of Falcon rockets, SpaceX is now the world's largest private producer of rocket engines.In 2003, Musk joined Tesla, working with its two founders. He soon led a critical round of financing and took a seat on the board of directors. He became CEO and chief architect in 2008, the year the company introduced its first car, the Tesla Roadster. Tesla is now producing its third vehicle, the Model X.Musk is also the founder and CEO of Neuralink, a futuristic firm whose goal is to create devices that can be implanted in the human brain in an effort to keep up with artificial intelligence.Off the job, Musk is dedicated to fighting global warming. He heads a foundation that supplies solar power energy systems to communities hit by natural disasters.He's been married and divorced thrice and is the father of five children. He's worth almost $21 billion, according to Forbes magazine.