Elon Musk's career has been marked by significant ups and downs, including his ouster from PayPal in 2000, which, while initially a painful experience, ultimately led to greater success. According to Walter Isaacsonās biography, Musk was removed from his role as CEO of PayPal through a coordinated effort by PayPal's board members, including Peter Thiel and Reid Hoffman, while he was away on his honeymoon. Musk's response to the betrayal was intense, admitting to having thoughts of "assassination" but later realizing that being ousted was actually a blessing in disguise. He believed that had he stayed, PayPal could have been a trillion-dollar company. Despite the separation, Musk retained a stake in PayPal, which eventually earned him $250 million when eBay acquired the company in 2002.
That windfall set the stage for Muskās next venture, SpaceX, which launched in 2002 with the goal of establishing a sustainable colony on Mars. Despite early failures and a looming cash crisis, Muskās perseverance and a timely $20 million investment from the Founders Fundāled by his former PayPal colleaguesāhelped propel SpaceX forward. In 2008, the companyās fourth attempt at launching the Falcon 1 rocket succeeded, marking a major turning point. This success led to a $1.6 billion contract with NASA and set SpaceX on its path to dominance in the aerospace industry.
Reflecting on his career, Musk noted that his decision to avoid burning bridges with his former PayPal colleagues allowed him to receive crucial support when he needed it most, which ultimately helped SpaceX thrive. In hindsight, Musk acknowledges that had he reacted with anger and resentment, his careerāand the future of space explorationāmight have taken a different, less successful trajectory. He now credits his calm and measured response as the key to his success, joking that "karma may be real
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