Elon Musk worked illegally in U.S. during startup development, report reveals
South African-born billionaire Elon Musk worked illegally in the United States during a brief period in the 1990s as he launched his first startup, Zip2, according to a report by The Washington Post published on Saturday.
Musk arrived in Palo Alto, California, in 1995 with the intention of attending Stanford University’s graduate program. However, he never enrolled and instead focused on developing Zip2, a software company that was sold for approximately $300 million in 1999.
Experts in immigration law indicated to the Post that Musk would have needed to be enrolled in a full course of study to maintain valid work authorization as a student. Musk reportedly received his U.S. work authorization around 1997, according to former colleagues, but details about the specifics of his status during that time remain unclear.
In a 2020 podcast referenced by the Post, Musk claimed he was “legally there,” though he acknowledged he was supposed to be pursuing student work. He noted that he was permitted to engage in certain types of work supporting his academic endeavors.
Attempts to reach Musk for comment through his various companies—SpaceX, Tesla, X (formerly Twitter), and The Boring Company—were unsuccessful, as were inquiries directed to his attorney, Alex Spiro.
Musk’s past immigration status surfaces amid his endorsement of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for the upcoming Nov. 5 election. Trump has long criticized immigration policies and has promised a significant crackdown on both legal and illegal migration if reelected.
As the story develops, it raises questions about the intersection of immigration law and the entrepreneurial landscape in the U.S., particularly for high-profile figures like Musk.
