Elon Musk’s Office Scuffles: Wrestling with His Brother and Receiving Stitches and Tetanus Shot, as Revealed in His Biography
Recently, there were rumors circulating on the internet about a potential ‘cage match’ showdown between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. Musk and Zuckerberg even discussed this idea on social media, with Musk sharing his chats with the Meta CEO regarding the proposed cage fight. While the likelihood of this cage match materializing remains uncertain, it’s worth noting that Musk has a history of physical confrontations that dates back to his early career.
According to Walter Isaacson’s newly released biography on Elon Musk, the tech entrepreneur’s penchant for physical altercations is revealed. In the 1990s, when Musk was working alongside his brother at Zip2, a software company he co-founded with his brother Kimbal and Greg Kouri, they would engage in what could be described as office ‘wrestling’ matches. Zip2 functioned as an online business directory similar to the yellow pages, featuring maps and enabling companies to promote themselves online.
Isaacson’s biography offers a glimpse into Musk’s life before he achieved billionaire status. During their time at Zip2, a notable incident occurred when Kimbal Musk, in the heat of their office wrestling, bit a chunk of flesh from Elon’s hand, fearing that his brother was about to strike him in the face. As a result, Elon had to seek medical attention to receive stitches and a tetanus shot. Remarkably, such physical altercations were not isolated incidents but rather a common occurrence when the Musk brothers shared the same office space. Since Zip2 lacked private offices, the staff would often witness their bouts.
Kimbal Musk, quoted in the book, admitted, “When we had intense stress, we just didn’t notice anyone else.” He expressed his deep affection for his brother but also acknowledged that working together was challenging. The book sheds light on the brothers’ childhood, revealing that they frequently engaged in fights even during their upbringing in South Africa, where such confrontations were considered normal within the culture.
Notably, Kimbal Musk wasn’t the only one who encountered challenges while collaborating with Elon. Navaid Farooq, a college friend and roommate of Musk’s, attempted to work with him on Zip2 but resigned from the position after just six weeks. According to Isaacson’s book, Farooq explained his decision by saying, “I knew that I could either be working with him or be his friend, but not both, and the latter seemed more enjoyable.” Farooq and Musk had studied together in Canada, and in the book, Farooq is described as Musk’s “first genuine and enduring friend outside of his family.
