Who is Kimbal Musk? Elon's brother in spotlight after swipe at Trump over tariffs

Mint

27-04-2025

While the world's richest man, Elon Musk, has refrained from openly criticising United States President Donald Trump's tariffs policy, his brother has had no such problem. Kimbal Musk grabbed headlines for his strongly worded X posts against Donald Trump's tariffs and their impact on prices and costs for American businesses and customers.
According to the Tesla investor relations page, Kimbal is 'an entrepreneur, activist, and chef' who has 'co-founded and invested in companies' for more than two decades. Forbes in a profile, said Kimbal Musk is worth an estimated $900 million — largely via stakes in his brother's multi-billion dollar businesses Tesla and SpaceX.
So, we take a look at who is Kimbal Musk, how rich is he, and how he gained his nearly billion-dollar his fortune.
Kimbal Musk is the younger brother of Elon Musk. He was born in Pretoria (South Africa) on September 20, 1972. Like the rest of his family, he currently holds US citizenship. In 1995 he acquired a degree in business from Queen's University, Canada, where he moved to live with his mother along with sister Tosca Musk in 1989.
He is now married to Christiana Wyly, daughter of businessman Sam Wyly, and lives in Boulder, Colarado (USA). Active on social media via Instagram and X, Kimbal Musk is known for his signature cowbot hat, which he has worn since 2014.
The Tesla investor relations profile page describes Kimbal Musk as an 'entrepreneur, activist, and chef', who has 'co-founded and invested in companies across technology, hospitality, entertainment, and agricultural industries'.
Kimbal Musk's personal mission, according to the website, is 'to empower innovators and scale sustainable technologies that help contribute to a happier, healthier future'. As per the website, Kimbal Musk co-founded online maps company Zip2 Corporation with brother Elon Musk, which was sold to Compaq for $307 million; which later merged with Yahoo Maps in 1999. According to a report by People Magazine, the brothers recieved funding from their parents and sister Tosca.
He is a founding director of SpaceX, in which he invested in 2002 (he was on the board till January 2002). The same year he acquired chipmaker Intel's light drone division and called it Nova Sky Stories (he is CEO and co-founder).
He also invested in EV automaker Tesla, of which he owns shares and is part of the Board of Directors since 2004.
After selling Zip2, Kimbal Musk studied at the French Culinary Institute in New York. Following his culinary ambitions, in 2004, he co-founded restaurant company The Kitchen (he is also CEO), with chef Hugo Matheson and then-wife Jen Lewin in Boulder (Colorado, USA), which purchases food directly from local farmers.
In 2006, he become the CEO of search engine called OneRiot, which was acquired by Walmart in 2011.
Between 2013-19, Kimbal Musk was a Director at American restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.
In 2016, he co-founded Square Roots, an urban indoor farm company growing fresh, local greens in climate-controlled, AI equipped shipping containers. It shut down major operations in 2023, the People report added.
Forbes, in its latest article on the Musk siblings Elon and Kimbal, said the younger brother was among those who made 'lucrative' gains from their association with the Tesla and SpaceX chief. His stake in SpaceX is worth an estimated $200 million.
Kimbal Musk is worth around $900 million, largely thanks to stakes in SpaceX and Tesla. During the markets high post Donald Trump's US elections win, his Tesla stake was worth around $1.3 billion (in December 2024), according to Forbes. His stake now is worth $380 million.
Forbes dubbed Kimbal Musk's role in his brother's empire as 'Musktocracy' — those whose wealth is tied to Elon Musk's rising fortunes. Other names include board members Larry Ellison and Marc Andressen, it added.
Compared to his brother, Kimbal Musk's own ventures have been far less successful. He did not respond to Forbes' queries for the story, but 20 people who worked directly with Kimbal Musk did, the report said.
How did they describe him? A 'laid-back personality who prefers cooking to high-stakes dealmaking and building tech companies, but who has continually been drawn into Elon's orbit'.
Key Takeaways Kimbal Musk has a net worth of approximately $900 million, primarily derived from his investments in Tesla and SpaceX, reflecting the financial benefits of being associated with his brother Elon Musk's successful ventures.
His professional identity encompasses being an entrepreneur, activist, and chef, with a focus on empowering innovators and promoting sustainable technologies across various industries.
Despite his significant wealth, Kimbal Musk's personal business ventures have not achieved the same level of success as Elon Musk's, indicating a preference for a more laid-back lifestyle centered around cooking rather than high-pressure business dealings.