The Life Story of Kimbal Musk
We’ve heard a lot about Elon Musk thanks to social media – but what about his brother, Kimbal? A chef, philanthropist, and restaurateur, his mission is to ensure everyone can access good food. It is also why he became a co-founder and chairman of three real food companies rapidly taking over the United States.
Born in an ambitious family, Kimbal followed his passion and became a millionaire.
Described as the cowboy hat-wearing farm and chef guru, Kimbal is a man with feet firmly placed on the ground. In this article, you will learn how he rose through the food industry to become one of the most popular people in the world.
“The idea behind fast food is great – people want convenience.” ~ Kimbal Musk
Early Life and Education
Kimbal Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa, on September 20, 1972. He was part of a very ambitious household, where each family member had fruitful ideas for success.
His father is Errol Musk, who had his own engineering practice. His mother, Mayer, was a well-known dietician. While Elon picked up after his father in his interest in technology, Kimbal picked up after his mother.
Kimbal grew up in the same household as Elon (his big brother), Tosca (their sister), and several cousins. After finishing high school, he moved with his brother to Kingston, Ontario, to continue his studies.
He would enroll at Queen’s University, where he would study business. In 1995, he graduated and obtained his degree.
“The one lesson I’ve learned from technology and food is the only time you know you’re doing the wrong thing is when you’re doing what everyone else is doing.” ~ Kimbal Musk
Early Career
Kimbal Musk had his first job while he was a student. He landed a job at Scotiabank, where he would work briefly for extra money.
However, he plunged into the world of entrepreneurs in 1994 through College Pro Painters. The same year, he started a second company, Zip2, with his brother.
Zip2 was an online guide that provided electronic versions of the Chicago Tribune and New York Times papers. They eventually sold the company to Compaq in 1999 for $340 million.
With the new resources, Kimbal decided to shift his focus to investments.
Kimbal became highly interested in technology and software investments, and he invested in one of Elon’s first businesses, X.com – a financial service provider and online bank.
In 2000, X.com merged with the Confinity company, maintaining the X.com name.
Soon after, X.com terminated all banking operations, except for the money service PayPal.
In 2001, the company itself got renamed PayPal, and one year later, PayPal was purchased by eBay for $1.5 billion in stock.
“The hard part about following your purpose is the distraction everyone pulls you toward.” ~ Kimbal Musk
Transition to Food Industry
PayPal was a great success for Kimbal, and at that point, he could have easily retired to live a life full of comfort and luxury.
Instead, Kimbal found a new passion in the food industry. Elon remained in California to create his energy empire. In contrast, Kimbal went to New York to study the culinary arts. He would do so by joining the French Culinary Institute.
In 2002, after graduating from the institute, he went on a road trip with his first wife, Jen Lewin, to find the perfect spot for a restaurant.
Before settling in Boulder, Colorado, they visited places such as Chicago, Jackson Hole, Santa Fe, and Los Angeles. The food scene and weather there were perfect for opening a restaurant.
In April 2004, Kimbal and Jen partnered with Chef Hugo Matheson to open a community bistro called “The Kitchen Boulder.” Later, they expanded the business to the upper floors, creating “The Kitchen Upstairs,” a cocktail lounge. This was the start of the Kitchen Restaurant Group.
The Kitchen gained popularity, being rated as one of America’s top restaurants according to various groups such as Food & Wine, Zagat’s, OpenTable, and Gourmet. This is how The Kitchen Restaurant Group began expanding, opening locations in Chicago and downtown Denver.
While the food industry was still his main venture, Kimbal had numerous interests and a knack for business.
In 2006, he became the chief executive officer at OneRiot Inc., a company that offered alternatives for email marketing. He would keep that role until 2011, when Walmart Labs acquired the company.
“My advice for any entrepreneur or innovator is to get into the food industry in some form so you have a front-row seat to what’s going on.” ~ Kimbal Musk
Achievements in the Food Industry
As Kimbal’s business grew, he realized that he liked quality food. He was concerned about the quality of ingredients on the market, especially in big cities.
Quality ingredients were one of the keys to tasty food, so he needed to find a way to sustain them.
In 2017, Kimbal founded the food production company Square Roots Urban Growers.
This company strived to create campuses with indoor, climate-controlled, hydroponic vertical farms. These helped his farm-to-table concept, sustaining farm crops even in a city environment. This would help him expand The Kitchen Restaurant Group, as it offered a better way to bring farm-grown products to the table.
Unless people knew what “real food” is, his idea would not gain enough traction to reach popularity. He knew that a process had to be taught for this to succeed. Therefore, he created the Learning Gardens, where kids could learn about healthy food and lifestyles.
“Food never ends. It’s one of the greatest things about working on food – we’re always going to need food.” ~ Kimbal Musk
Philanthropy
Kimbal Musk is known for many things, but most people know him for his philanthropic activities. In 2004, Kimbal started being involved with the Growe Foundation, where he coordinated the planting of more gardens in Boulder schools.
In addition, he founded “The Kitchen Community” in 2011, together with Matheson, his business partner. This was a non-profit where children would be taught in Learning Gardens the various aspects of food, lifestyle choices, healthy eating, and environmental care.
Kimbal gave up some of the sales from his restaurant, “The Kitchen,” to create Learning Gardens in various communities. Chicago’s mayor, Rahm Emanuel, saw the potential of these gardens, which is why he donated $1 million on behalf of the city. This would allow Kimbal to open 80 more gardens in Chicago.
By 2017, there were over 400 gardens opened by The Kitchen Community (later renamed Big Green). The gardens were visited by more than 100,000 students all over Los Angeles, Chicago, Memphis, Denver, and Indianapolis.
Personal Life
Kimbal was married to architect Jen Lewin, with whom he has three children. Unfortunately, the couple had their differences, which caused them to get a divorce.
Eventually, Kimbal remarried Christiana Wyly, a businesswoman, and the newlyweds remained in Boulder, Colorado.
Kimbal’s main passion is food, which is obvious in his ventures. Moreover, he is interested in business, so he became a Tesla board member.
Kimbal was also passionate about winter sports, but after a skiing accident nearly killed him in 2010, Kimbal focused on his other passion: food. The accident opened his eyes, and he decided to make an impact.
Conclusion
Kimbal Musk may not be as popular as his brother, Elon, but he is well on his way there. While Elon looked to the sky, Kimbal was well-grounded to the earth. He believed one should take full advantage of what our soil offers, so he continued delighting the world with good food.
Key Points
- Kimbal Musk, Elon Musk’s brother, is a chef, philanthropist, and restaurateur with a mission to ensure everyone has access to good food. He is a co-founder and chairman of three rapidly growing real food companies in the United States.
- Born on September 20, 1972, in Pretoria, South Africa, Kimbal was part of a very ambitious family, with an engineer father and a dietician mother.
- After graduating from Queen’s University in Canada with a degree in business in 1995, Kimbal became an entrepreneur, co-founding Zip2, an online guide, with his brother Elon.
- After selling Zip2 to Compaq for $340 million in 1999, Kimbal invested in technology and software, including X.com, which later became PayPal and was bought by eBay for $1.5 billion in stock.
- After his success with PayPal, Kimbal shifted his focus to the food industry. He studied culinary arts at the French Culinary Institute in New York and co-founded The Kitchen Boulder restaurant in Colorado in 2004, which later expanded into the Kitchen Restaurant Group.
- The Kitchen Restaurant Group became popular and expanded to various locations in the United States.
- In 2017, Kimbal founded Square Roots Urban Growers, creating indoor, climate-controlled, hydroponic vertical farms to support his farm-to-table concept.
- Kimbal is also known for his philanthropy, creating Learning Gardens through his non-profit The Kitchen Community, later renamed Big Green. The initiative taught children about healthy food and lifestyles and expanded to various cities in the United States.
- On the personal side, Kimbal was first married to Jen Lewin, with whom he has three children, and later remarried Christiana Wyly. He resides in Boulder, Colorado, and is a board member of Tesla.
Timeline of Kimbal Musk
1972:
Kimbal Musk is born in Pretoria, South Africa, on September 20.
1994:
Kimbal starts working at College Pro Painters and co-founded Zip2 with his brother Elon.
1995:
Kimbal graduates from Queen’s University with a degree in business.
1999:
Zip2 is sold to Compaq for $340 million.
2000:
Kimbal invests in X.com, which later merges with Confinity to become PayPal.
2001:
PayPal gets its official name and was later acquired by eBay for $1.5 billion.
2002:
Kimbal graduates from the French Culinary Institute and begins exploring the food industry.
2004:
Kimbal opens “The Kitchen Boulder,” the first restaurant of The Kitchen Restaurant Group.
2006:
Kimbal becomes the CEO of OneRiot Inc.
2010:
Kimbal’s skiing accident leads him to focus on his passion for food.
2011:
OneRiot Inc. is acquired by Walmart Labs. Kimbal founded “The Kitchen Community” (later renamed Big Green).
2017:
Kimbal founds Square Roots Urban Growers and continues promoting good food. The Kitchen Community has over 400 gardens and reaches more than 100,000 students.
Lessons From The Life of Kimbal Musk
We can learn various lessons from Kimbal Musk’s experiences. Nevertheless, I will focus on a single significant lesson in this article, based on Kimbal Musk’s quote:
“The hard part about following your purpose is the distraction everyone pulls you toward.”
Reaching a goal can be difficult when people around you direct you differently. It can be distracting and move you in a direction that can be the wrong step and lead to failure.
Naturally, a stranger off the street won’t come up to you and offer advice. Instead, it will be family, friends, and colleagues. Let’s start by considering the intentions of those people.
It’s important to keep in mind almost always, these people want the best for you and are not out to sabotage you. They may see things differently and want to offer their input because, deep inside, they believe that is the best step for you. So, with that said, you can agree their intentions are pure.
Now here is the problem, with everyone giving different advice, you will be drawn in different directions, and it’s easy to get off track.
One of the best ways to stay on track is to listen but never take what others are saying at face value. Instead, identify your goal. Then, envision what it will be like when you achieve it. Next, when someone gives you advice, listen, and think about what they are saying, and when something makes sense, research it and make sure it’s in line with your goal or something better.
One of the key issues when taking advice from others is you must take responsibility for the outcome. If something goes wrong, you can’t blame it on the person that gave advice. It will be your decision. It’s on you because you were the one to act on the advice. You can’t blame someone else. This idea will keep you from taking others’ advice without looking into the matter.
In summary, people have good intentions, but the final call is yours, and it’s your goal! Think about it and take the direction that’s best for you.
Facts Related to The Life of Kimbal Musk
- Kimbal Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa, on September 20, 1972.
- Kimbal Musk’s father, Errol Musk, had his own engineering practice.
- Kimbal Musk’s mother, Mayer, was a well-known dietician.
- Kimbal Musk enrolled at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, to study business.
Kimbal Musk graduated from Queen’s University in 1995. - Kimbal Musk started his first job at Scotiabank while he was a student.
- Kimbal Musk co-founded Zip2, an online guide, with his brother Elon Musk.
- Kimbal Musk and Elon Musk sold Zip2 to Compaq in 1999 for $340 million.
- Kimbal Musk invested in Elon Musk’s business, X.com.
- X.com merged with Confinity to become PayPal.
- PayPal was purchased by eBay for $1.5 billion in stock.
- Kimbal Musk shifted his focus to the food industry after the success of PayPal.
- Kimbal Musk studied culinary arts at the French Culinary Institute.
- Kimbal Musk opened a community bistro called “The Kitchen Boulder” with his partner Chef Hugo Matheson.
- The Kitchen Restaurant Group expanded to other locations, including Chicago and downtown Denver.
- Kimbal Musk became the CEO of OneRiot Inc., a company offering alternatives for email marketing.
- Walmart Labs acquired OneRiot Inc. in 2011.
- Kimbal Musk founded Square Roots Urban Growers 2017, a food production company with indoor, climate-controlled, hydroponic vertical farms.
- Kimbal Musk created Learning Gardens to educate children about healthy food and lifestyles.
- Kimbal Musk was involved with the Growe Foundation and The Kitchen Community, promoting gardens in schools and teaching children about food and environmental care.
- Chicago’s mayor, Rahm Emanuel, donated $1 million for Kimbal Musk’s gardens in the city.
- The Kitchen Community, later renamed Big Green, opened over 400 gardens visited by more than 100,000 students in various cities.
- Kimbal Musk was married to architect Jen Lewin and later remarried Christiana Wyly.
- Kimbal Musk is a Tesla board member.
- Kimbal Musk’s skiing accident in 2010 shifted his focus back to food.
- Kimbal Musk believes in taking full advantage of what the soil offers and providing good food to the world.
Frequently Asked Questions About Kimbal Musk
The information in this post answers many of the questions about Kimbal Musk. In addition, this section provides a summary and any further information.
1. Is Kimbal Musk a billionaire?
According to Forbes, November 11, 2021, is not a billionaire, with his net worth estimated at around $700 million.
2. Does Kimbal Musk own Tesla?
While Kimbal Musk does not own Tesla outright, he is a part of the company’s board of directors and holds a stake.
3. What is Kimbal Musk famous for?
Known for his culinary and entrepreneurial ventures, Kimbal Musk is a renowned chef, restaurateur, and philanthropist.
He has gained recognition for his commitment to making real food accessible to all Americans and his role as the co-founder and chairman of the urban farming company Square Roots.
Furthermore, he is notable for his Tesla Inc. and SpaceX board positions.
4. What percentage of Tesla does Kimbal Musk own?
As per the February 25, 2022 data, Kimbal Musk owns a 0.04% stake in Tesla.
5. What does Elon Musk eat?
Elon Musk’s reported diet includes a rather eclectic range of food items, encompassing a donut for breakfast, octopus, a bowl of ice cream, and eight oatmeal biscuits.
6. Who is Kimbal Musk?
Kimbal Musk is a chef, philanthropist, and restaurateur who aims to ensure everyone can access good food. He’s also a co-founder and chairman of three real food companies in the United States.
7. When and where was Kimbal Musk born?
Kimbal Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa, on September 20, 1972.
8. Who are Kimbal Musk’s parents and siblings?
His father is Errol Musk, who had his own engineering practice; his mother is Mayer, a well-known dietician. He has a brother, Elon Musk, and a sister, Tosca Musk.
9. Where did Kimbal Musk study, and what degree did he earn?
Kimbal Musk moved to Kingston, Ontario, for his studies after high school. He enrolled at Queen’s University, where he studied business, and graduated in 1995.
10. What were Kimbal Musk’s early ventures in his career?
Kimbal Musk’s early ventures included working briefly at Scotiabank, starting a company through College Pro Painters, and co-founding Zip2 with his brother Elon in 1994.
11. What was Zip2, and what happened to it?
Zip2 was an online guide providing electronic versions of the Chicago Tribune and New York Times papers. It was sold to Compaq in 1999 for $340 million.
12. What were Kimbal’s involvements in the technology and software industries?
After selling Zip2, Kimbal invested in one of Elon’s first businesses, X.com, an online bank. X.com later merged with Confinity, was renamed PayPal, and was eventually purchased by eBay for $1.5 billion in stock.
13. How did Kimbal Musk transition to the food industry?
After the success of PayPal, Kimbal found a new passion in the food industry. He studied culinary arts at the French Culinary Institute in New York. After graduating, he embarked on a road trip to find the perfect spot for a restaurant and settled in Boulder, Colorado.
14. What is the Kitchen Restaurant Group?
The Kitchen Restaurant Group started with a community bistro called “The Kitchen Boulder” in 2004. It gained popularity and expanded, opening locations in Chicago and downtown Denver.
15. What did Kimbal do to ensure the quality of ingredients in his restaurants?
In 2017, Kimbal founded Square Roots Urban Growers, a company that created indoor, climate-controlled, hydroponic vertical farms to sustain farm crops in city environments.
16. What are some of Kimbal Musk’s philanthropic activities?
Kimbal has been involved with the Growe Foundation, where he coordinated the planting of more gardens in Boulder schools. He also founded “The Kitchen Community” in 2011, a non-profit that aimed to teach children about food, lifestyle choices, healthy eating, and environmental care.
17. How many gardens did The Kitchen Community open?
By 2017, over 400 gardens were opened by The Kitchen Community (later renamed Big Green) and visited by more than 100,000 students across various cities in the US.
18. Who is Kimbal Musk’s current spouse?
After divorcing his first wife, Jen Lewin, with whom he has three children, Kimbal Musk remarried Christiana Wyly, a businesswoman.
19. What board does Kimbal Musk sit on?
Kimbal Musk is a board member of Tesla.
20. How did a skiing accident in 2010 affect Kimbal Musk?
The 2010 skiing accident nearly killed Kimbal Musk. After the accident, he decided to focus on his passion for food and strived to make an impact through his ventures in the food industry.
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