What is Elon Musk’s real name? Elon Reeve Musk, explained
Elon Musk's real name is Elon Reeve Musk: Elon is his given first name, Reeve his middle name and Musk his father's surname. Here is the full name, his parents, why people ask, and what the world's richest person is worth now.
Elon Musk’s real name is Elon Reeve Musk. Elon is his given first name, not a nickname or a stage name, Reeve is his middle name, and Musk is the surname of his father, Errol Musk, according to Wikipedia. He was born on 28 June 1971 in Pretoria, South Africa, and Forbes ranks him the richest person in the world. 1
Elon Musk real name: Elon Reeve Musk
His full birth name is Elon Reeve Musk, and he has not changed it. His father, Errol Musk, is a South African electromechanical engineer, and his mother, Maye Musk, born Maye Haldeman, is a model and dietitian, Wikipedia says. “Elon” is pronounced EE-lon. 1
People search for his “real name” for two main reasons. Some assume a name as unusual as Elon must be a nickname; it is not. Others have seen him use joke display names on X, the social network he owns, but those are screen names, not legal names.
Key facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Real name | Elon Reeve Musk |
| Born | 28 June 1971, Pretoria, South Africa |
| Parents | Errol Musk and Maye Musk (born Haldeman) |
| Citizenship | South African, Canadian and American |
| Companies | SpaceX (with xAI and X) and Tesla |
| Net worth | $869 billion (Forbes, 1 Nov 2026) |
Where the name took him
Musk left South Africa for Canada at 17, moved to the United States to study at the University of Pennsylvania and became a US citizen in 2002. He co-founded Zip2 with his brother Kimbal in 1995, then X.com, which became PayPal, before starting SpaceX in 2002 and leading Tesla‘s first funding round in 2004. The full story is in our Elon Musk biography.
Elon Musk’s net worth now
Forbes valued Musk at $869 billion on 1 November 2026, first in the world, a title he has held since May 2024, Forbes reported. His fortune fell in October mainly because SpaceX shares dropped, as most of his wealth is tied to the rocket company. Earlier, in June 2026, he became the first person worth more than $1 trillion when SpaceX began trading on Nasdaq. 2
See the Elon Musk net worth page for the breakdown in dollars and rupees, our report on the record SpaceX IPO, and how the world’s 10 richest lost $300 billion in October.
What happens next
Musk’s name will keep coming up in rich lists as long as SpaceX and Tesla shares swing. Committees are weighing a possible combination of the two, which we covered in SpaceX and Tesla merger committees. For his family, companies and homes, see the Elon Musk profile.
Frequently asked questions
What is Elon Musk's real name?
Elon Reeve Musk. Elon is his given first name, Reeve his middle name and Musk his father’s surname. He has not changed his legal name.
Is Elon a nickname?
No. Elon is Musk’s real first name, given at birth in Pretoria, South Africa, in 1971.
Who are Elon Musk's parents?
His father is Errol Musk, a South African engineer, and his mother is Maye Musk, born Maye Haldeman, a model and dietitian.
What is Elon Musk's net worth?
Forbes valued him at $869 billion on 1 November 2026, making him the richest person in the world.
- 1 Wikipedia, Elon Musk, 11 Nov 2026
- 2 Forbes, Ranked: The top 10 richest people in the world (November 2026), 1 Nov 2026