Kimbal Musk Net Worth

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 Musk Net Worth	$500 Million
Date of Birth	September 20, 1972
Place of Birth	Pretoria, South Africa

Table of Contents

Early Life

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.

Zip2 and Early Tech Ventures

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.

Restaurant 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.

Nonprofit Work and Sustainable Farming

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

Big Green (formerly The Kitchen Community): Founded in 2011, this nonprofit has built over 700 Learning Gardens in schools across the U.S., giving children access to fresh food and garden-based education.
Square Roots: Co-founded in 2016, this urban farming company grows produce in modular hydroponic farms inside shipping containers.

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

Tesla Shares and Wealth Growth

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

Before the 5-for-1 stock split in 2020, Kimbal owned about 130,000 shares.
After the split, his holdings increased to 572,000 shares, which were worth over $500 million when Tesla stock hit $880 in January 2021.
Following Tesla’s 3-for-1 stock split in 2022, he held around 1.7 million shares.

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

Other Business Roles

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

Served as CEO of OneRiot, a social media advertising network later acquired by Walmart-Labs.
Former board member of Chipotle Mexican Grill.
Frequent television guest on shows such as 60 Minutes, Chopped, and Today.

Personal Life

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.

Controversies

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.