Listen Live
Donate
 on air
    Schedule

    KCRW

    Read & Explore

    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Culture
    • Events

    Listen

    • Live Radio
    • Music
    • Podcasts
    • Full Schedule

    Information

    • About
    • Careers
    • Help / FAQ
    • Newsletters
    • Contact

    Support

    • Become a Member
    • Become a VIP
    • Ways to Give
    • Shop
    • Member Perks

    Become a Member

    Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

    DonateGive Monthly

    Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

    Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
    Cookie Policy
    |FCC Public Files|

    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    ELON MUSK

    Once upon a time, a man named Elon Musk envisioned rockets in space, cars that were electric, and a vacuum tube that hurtled people from San Francisco to Los Angeles in 30-minutes. Many called him crazy, but Musk believed.

    • rss
    • Share
    By Madeleine Brand • May 21, 2015 • 1 min read

    Once upon a time, a man named Elon Musk envisioned rockets in space, cars that were electric, and a vacuum tube that hurtled people from San Francisco to Los Angeles in 30-minutes. Many called him crazy, but Musk believed. Today, at the age of 43, he is a millionaire many times over and after the success of SpaceX and Tesla, even the Hyperloop doesn’t seem so out there. More complicated is Musk’s personal life. He’s suffered the death of a child, been married three times (twice to the same woman), and has five children.

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Madeleine Brand

      Host, 'Press Play'

    • KCRW placeholder

      Jolie Myers

      Managing Producer, 'Press Play'

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Matt Holzman

      Producer, 'The Document'

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Anna Scott

      Former KCRW Housing and Homelessness Reporter

    • KCRW placeholder

      Ashlee Vance

      Author “Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future.”

      News
    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand