The document provides an overview of Elon Musk and his innovative businesses including SpaceX, Tesla Motors, and SolarCity. It discusses how Musk is a disruptive innovator through his persistence in pursuing future-oriented technologies like electric vehicles, solar energy, and space exploration despite initial failures. Musk's innovations have revolutionized existing industries and his sustainability-focused companies and philanthropy aim to have a long-term positive impact on global technology and environment.

1. An in depth look at the man who is
positively changing the future of global
technologies
By: Curtis Forte 11/22/14 For: V.C.U. Students

2. 
 Executive Summary Slide 3
 Elon Musk and The World Slide 4
 The Main Types of Innovation Slide 5
 Disruptive Innovation in the Modern World Slide 6
 Elon’s Innovative Beginnings Slide 7
 Elon’s Innovative Spacecraft Venture Slide 8
 Elon’s (SpaceX) Contracts Slide 9
 Elon’s Innovative Automobile Entry Slide 10
 Elon’s Solar Power Consolidation Slide 11
 Elon’s Philosophy and Philanthropic Pursuits Slide 12
 Elon’s Persistence with SpaceX Slide 13
 Elon’s Persistence with Tesla Slide 14
 The Final Frontier Slide 15
Table of Contents

3. 
 Elon Musk will positively change global technology
as a result of his many future-oriented business
ventures, philosophy, and persistence in the face of
failure.
 His businesses have already revolutionized existing
markets and his persistence in the face of failure
demonstrates his innovative and goal seeking
attitude. As a result of his many successful
businesses, Elon is able to be philanthropic in a way
that adheres to his own sustainability-related
philosophies
Executive Summary

4. 
 Disruptive innovation is more prevalent today than it ever has
been, given our rapid technological increases and global access
to information.
 Elon Musk is an important disruptive innovator in that he has
become immensely successful from his business ventures that
were initially viewed with certain failure from most people.
 Elon Musk said “If something is important enough, you should
try, even if the probable outcome is failure”. This quote
encompasses his persistence and determination in the many
businesses he created, that have changed our world.
 Elon Musk is a disruptive innovator, who will positively change
global technology given his innovations, his philosophy, and his
persistence.
Elon Musk and the World

5. 
 Sustaining innovation is an innovation that does not affect
existing markets. (e.g., ipod mini)
 Evolutionary innovation is an innovation that improves a
product in an existing market in ways that customers are expecting.
(e.g., fuel injection)
 Revolutionary/Discontinuous/Radical innovation is an
innovation that is unexpected, but nevertheless does not affect
existing markets. (e.g., the automobile)
 Disruptive innovation is an innovation that creates a new market
by applying a different set of values, which ultimately (and
unexpectedly) overtakes an existing market. (e.g., the lower priced
Ford Model T)
The Main Types of Innovation

6. 
 The term is used in business and technology literature to
describe innovations that improve a product or service in
ways that the market does not expect, typically first by
designing for a different set of consumers in a new market
and later by lowering prices in the existing market.
Disruptive Innovation in
the Modern World
This graph shows the
relationship between
disruptive technology
with performance and
time

7. 
 In 1995, Musk started Zip2, a web software company, with his brother. The
company developed and marketed an Internet "city guide" for the
newspaper publishing industry. Musk obtained contracts with The New
York Times and the Chicago Tribune. Compaq acquired Zip2 for US$307
million in cash and US$34 million in stock options in 1999. Musk received
7% or $22 million from the sale.
 In March of that same year, Musk co-founded X.com, an online financial
services and e-mail payment company. One year later, the company merged
with Confinity, which operated a subsidiary called PayPal. PayPal and
X.com each had a person-to-person email-based payment system. After
initially co-branding PayPal with the X brand, including making X.com a
subdomain of PayPal, he moved to officially remove the X.com brand for
good. PayPal's early growth was due in large part to successful viral
growth campaigns created by Musk. In October 2002, PayPal was acquired
by eBay for US$1.5 billion in stock, of which $165 million was given to
Musk.
Elon’s Innovative Beginnings

8. 
 Musk founded his third company, Space Exploration
Technologies (SpaceX), in June 2002. The company's first two
launch vehicles are the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 rockets, and its
first spacecraft is the Dragon.
 SpaceX was the first company to have the first privately
funded, liquid-fueled rocket (Falcon 1) to reach orbit; it was
the first privately funded company to successfully launch (by
Falcon 9), orbit and recover a spacecraft (Dragon); and the
first private company to send a spacecraft (Dragon) to the
International Space Station.
 In order to maximize quality and control costs, SpaceX designs,
tests and fabricates most of its components in-house, including
the rocket engines used on the Falcon launch vehicles and the
Dragon spacecraft. This has allowed SpaceX to offer one of the
lowest launch prices in the industry and to significantly
reduce conventional rocket development time.
Elon’s Innovative Spacecraft
Venture

9. 
 In 2006, NASA awarded the company a contract to design and
demonstrate a launch system to resupply cargo to the
International Space Station (ISS). SpaceX has since flown
four missions to the ISS.
 Besides NASA contracts, SpaceX has signed contracts with
private sector companies, non-American government agencies
and the American military for its launch services, filling a
growing launch manifest. It has already launched, for paying
customers, 12 Falcon 9 rockets and has at least 30 planned
future launches.
Elon’s (SpaceX) Contracts

10. 
 Elon began Tesla Motors, believing that an opportunity
existed to benefit the human race by focusing more on
renewable energy uses instead of gasoline. He first built
an electric sports car, the Tesla Roadster, with sales of
about 2,500 vehicles to 31 countries. Tesla began delivery
of its four-door Model S sedan on June 22, 2012 and
unveiled its third product, the Model X, aimed at the
SUV/minivan market, on February 9, 2012. Model X is
scheduled to begin production in early 2015.
 In addition to its own cars, Tesla sells electric powertrain
systems to Mercedes and Toyota. Musk was able to bring
in both companies as long-term investors. He wants to
enable automakers to produce electric vehicles at
affordable prices without having to develop the
products in house, as an added bonus he has allowed
Tesla’s technology patents to be used freely.
Elon’s Innovative
Automobile Entry

11. 
 SolarCity is another venture of Elon Musk, developed in
part to charge his Tesla cars at specific charging stations.
It is now the largest provider of solar power systems in
the United States. The underlying motivation for funding
both SolarCity and Tesla is to help combat global
warming. In 2012, Musk announced that SolarCity and
Tesla Motors are collaborating to use electric vehicle
batteries to smooth the impact of rooftop solar on the
power grid.
 On June 17, 2014, Musk committed to building a Solar
City advanced production facility in Buffalo, NY that
would triple the size of the largest solar plant in the
United States. Musk stated the plant will be "one of the
single largest solar panel production plants in the
world," and it will be followed by one or more even
bigger facilities in subsequent years.
Elon’s Solar Power
Consolidation

12. 
 Elon is chairman of the Musk Foundation, which focuses its
philanthropic efforts on science education, pediatric health, and
clean energy.
 Elon began a program through his foundation in 2010 to donate
solar-power systems for critical needs in disaster areas.
 Elon had plans for a "Mars Oasis" project in 2001, which would
land a miniature experimental greenhouse on Mars, containing
food crops growing on Martian regolith.
 His long-term goal is to help humanity through SpaceX by
creating a true spacefaring civilization. Musk's philosophy
adheres to future-oriented sustainable values in which
innovation and better products can be produced in combination
with sustaining the earth’s resources and environment.
Elon’s Philosophy and
Philanthropic Pursuits

13. 
 SpaceX had enough money for the first three
launches. However, each of the three failed. The
company managed to scrape together enough money
for a last-chance fourth launch.
 Elon remarks “I was so tense [during the launch]
that when it succeeded I didn’t actually feel elation –
just stress relief, that’s all.”
Elon’s Persistence with SpaceX

14. 
 Tesla, the electric car company was raising a round of funding
in the summer of 2008 when the financial crisis hit. After car
companies like Chrysler and GM went bankrupt, Musk had a
hard time approaching investors about Tesla.
 “People were angry that you brought it up,” he said.
 Musk said he put everything he had left into the company, even
borrowing money from friends. Tesla went on to close the
investment round on the last hour of the last possible day. If the
fundraise hadn’t come through, the company would have gone
bankrupt a few days later.
Elon’s Persistence with Tesla

15. 
 Elon Musk is an important innovator and creative
entrepreneur that will impact the future of global
technology and potentially that of the human race.
 Throughout his life he has failed, but he has never
stopped trying to pursue his passions and goals.
Some of us may not be as ambitious and brave with
our money as he is, but we can learn many things
from his disruptive innovations and his life.
 I propose that everyone stay informed with regards
to Elon’s innovations, he may be leading us to
colonize mars in the near future. It is important as
students to realize the opportunities that his actions
and pursuits create.
The Final Frontier

16. 
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disruptive_innovatio
n
 http://thenextweb.com/entrepreneur/2013/10/31/
elon-musk-failure-fear/
 http://addicted2success.com/entrepreneur-
profile/elon-musk/
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SolarCity
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elon_Musk
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falcon_9
Works Cited