PALO ALTO, July 6 — For communities across Asia watching the electric vehicle revolution unfold, the story of Elon Musk and his company Tesla is one that touches families from Manila to Mumbai. The South African-born entrepreneur leads a company that has fundamentally reshaped how people think about transportation and energy. Musk joined Tesla in 2004 after leading the company’s Series A funding round, becoming CEO in 2008.
That year, Tesla launched the Roadster, its first production vehicle. Since then, the company has rolled out a series of models: the Model S in 2012, the Model X in 2015, the Model 3 in 2017, the Model Y in 2020, the Cybertruck in 2023, and the Semi in 2022.
For families across the region, the impact is tangible. Tesla’s market capitalisation reached $1 trillion in October 2021, making it the most valuable automaker in the world. That valuation reflects not just car sales but the company’s broader mission, which Musk has stated is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.
Closer to home, Tesla also produces solar panels and energy storage products like the Powerwall and Megapack. For communities in Southeast Asia dealing with unreliable grids or frequent blackouts, these products offer a practical solution.
A family in rural Indonesia or a small business in the Philippines could potentially store solar energy during the day and use it at night, reducing dependence on fossil fuels. But Musk’s story extends beyond Tesla. He founded SpaceX in 2002, co-founded Neuralink and The Boring Company in 2016, and acquired Twitter — now called X — in 2022 for $44 billion.
His net worth as of 2023 is estimated at over $200 billion. Musk remains a controversial figure due to his management style, tweets, and labour practices. For ordinary people across Asia who rely on Tesla vehicles for ride-hailing or who invest in the company’s stock, his unpredictable behaviour can feel like a rollercoaster.
What it means for people is this: a single individual, born in Pretoria in 1971, now influences everything from how we commute to how we power our homes. For communities across the region, the question is whether Tesla’s sustainable energy mission will truly reach the families who need it most.
