SpaceX
El Segundo, California
Founded: 2002
Employees: 370
Musk's Investment: $100 million
Cost Per Launch: $7.1 million to $35 million
Launches booked: 14
Size of Falcon 9 Rocket:178 feet high; 12 feet wide
"I started SpaceX because I wanted to help reduce the cost of space transportation so it would be feasible to establish life on another planet. We optimize not only the launch costs but also the cost of developing and manufacturing the rocket. We're like a low-cost version of Boeing and Pratt & Whitney, on top of a Southwest."
Tesla Motors
San Carlos, California
Founded: 2003
Employees: 300
Musk's Investment: $37 million
Cars Sold: 600
Price: $98,000
Zero to 60: Four seconds
"Tesla is making the first real production electric car. By real, I mean that the car isn't subsidized in any way--it's valuable on its own merits. Our strategy is to start with a high-price, low-volume car and then move down to a lower price, higher volume. Eventually we're going to be a big American car company with a half-dozen models and hundreds of thousands of cars."
SolarCity
Foster City, California
Founded: 2006
Employees: 180
Musk's Investment: $10 million
Installation cost: $30,000 and up
Jobs Per Month: 90
Typical Yearly Savings: $1,800
"SolarCity installs solar panels, but installation is only one part of what we do. There's the design of the system: What's it going to look like? How's it going to be structured? There's the wiring, the permitting, the monitoring. It's a hairball of elements that need to be put together. What most people don't realize is that SolarCity--not the panel manufacturer--is providing the bulk of the value."
