'Started own company only because Netscape didn't give me a job,' says Elon Musk

Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, had not so easy start in the corporate America. The Tesla boss has never shied away from his early struggles and how he chose the path of entrepreneurship. Speaking at an event, Musk spoke about his well-documented journey.

Talking about the era of innovation in mid-90s, Musk spoke about how he was never into starting his own business. Instead, he had tried to get a job at Netscape after graduation from the University of Pennsylvania. While now, he may call Marc Andreessen a friend but things were different back then. “They (Netscape) didn't respond to my resume that I mailed in. I thought 'I guess I'll just write some internet software' and wrote the first maps and directions on the internet in 1995.”

Musk also spoke about how not only Netscape but no other company was interested in hiring him. “It was just really because nobody would give me a job on the internet. If they gave me a job, I guess I would have just worked at Netscape or something."

In a 2012 interview with investor Kevin Rose, Musk recalled how he would visit the Netscape lobby in a bid to talk to someone. "I was too shy to talk," Musk had said. Originally from South Africa, Musk had a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He said that the reason why nobody was interested in hiring him was because lack of any degree or experience in the field of computer science. Embarrassed, Musk took a new path from the lobby of Netscape. He went on to launch Zip2 in 1996 and rest as they say is history. Currently, Musk is heading the Department of Government Efficiency in the Trump administration.