Kimbal Musk is a South African-born restaurateur, chef, and entrepreneur with a net worth of $500 million. Best known as the younger brother of billionaire Elon Musk, Kimbal has built his own path in the restaurant, farming, and sustainability industries while also serving as a long-time board member of Tesla Inc. and SpaceX.

His wealth comes from a combination of entrepreneurial ventures, restaurant ownership, nonprofit initiatives, and a significant equity stake in Tesla.

Kimbal James Musk was born on September 20, 1972, in Pretoria, South Africa. His father, Errol Musk, was an electromechanical engineer, while his mother, Maye Musk, worked as a model and dietician. Kimbal grew up alongside his siblings, Elon Musk, the world-renowned entrepreneur, and Tosca Musk, a filmmaker.

After finishing high school, Kimbal moved to Kingston, Ontario, Canada, to study business at Queen’s University, where Elon was already living. He graduated in 1995 and briefly worked at Scotiabank before diving into entrepreneurship.

In 1995, Kimbal and Elon co-founded Zip2, an online city guide software company. Zip2 provided content for major outlets including The New York Times and Chicago Tribune.

In 1999, Compaq acquired Zip2 for $307 million, with Kimbal earning $15 million from the sale while Elon walked away with $22 million. Kimbal reinvested his earnings into startups, including X.com, Elon’s online financial services company, which later became PayPal.

When eBay acquired PayPal in 2002 for $1.5 billion in stock, Kimbal’s investments grew substantially, setting the foundation for his future ventures.

After his early tech success, Kimbal pursued a passion for food. He moved to New York City to study at the French Culinary Institute and later launched The Kitchen Restaurant Group in 2004 in Boulder, Colorado, alongside Hugo Matheson and his then-wife, Jen Lewin.

The Kitchen became a community-focused bistro and quickly expanded to locations in Denver and Chicago. It has been recognized by Gourmet, Zagat’s, and the James Beard Foundation.

In 2011, he launched Next Door American Eatery, a fast-casual restaurant concept that grew to multiple locations.

Kimbal has dedicated much of his career to sustainable food systems.

These initiatives earned Kimbal recognition, including being named a Global Social Entrepreneur of the Year by the World Economic Forum in 2018.

As a board member of Tesla since its early years, Kimbal has amassed significant equity.

Over time, Kimbal has sold more than $100 million worth of Tesla shares, though he remains one of the company’s largest individual shareholders.

Beyond Tesla and SpaceX, Kimbal has been involved in multiple ventures:

Kimbal married Jen Lewin in 2001, with whom he has three children, before their divorce in 2010. In 2018, he married Christiana Wyly, the daughter of billionaire businessman Sam Wyly.

The couple have been active in philanthropy and environmental causes, with Christiana deeply engaged in climate advocacy.

Kimbal has faced criticism for how his restaurant group handled its Family Fund during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some employees alleged they were denied emergency support after restaurant closures. However, The Kitchen Group stated it had distributed $27,600 in grants to 69 workers during that period.

Kimbal Musk net worth is $500 million.