Canada became the starting point of Elon Musk’s journey to North America in 1989, marking a pivotal transition from his life in South Africa. Contrary to misconceptions about a privileged upbringing, Musk arrived with a limited sum of money from his parents and a list of distant relatives he had never met. His initial days were filled with uncertainty as he navigated an unfamiliar country, staying at a youth hostel in Montreal before embarking on a cross-country journey with a Greyhound Discovery Pass.

Traveling across Canada exposed Musk to both adventure and hardship, including losing his suitcase and experiencing firsthand the inefficiencies of the banking system when trying to replace his traveler’s checks. Eventually, he found himself in Saskatchewan, where he spent time with a cousin and performed physical labor on a farm, marking a modest but meaningful way to celebrate his 18th birthday. His journey continued west to Vancouver, where he took on grueling work at a lumber mill, an experience far removed from the technological innovations he would later pioneer.

Musk’s early struggles in Canada weren’t limited to temporary jobs; they extended to adapting to an entirely new way of life. His mother, Maye Musk, and sister, Tosca, soon followed, settling in Toronto where the family lived frugally in a small apartment. To support themselves, they worked multiple jobs, and Elon himself sought various employment opportunities, developing a deep sense of resilience and financial independence.

Among the many jobs he undertook, Musk worked cleaning boilers at a lumber mill, one of the most physically demanding jobs he would ever experience. The role required him to wear a hazmat suit and crawl into tight spaces filled with intense heat, reinforcing his determination to build a future beyond manual labor. While these hardships tested his endurance, they also strengthened his resolve to seek opportunities in engineering, business, and technology.

Despite the challenges, Musk remained focused on his ambitions, taking advantage of Canada’s education system to further his studies. He enrolled at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, where he would eventually lay the foundation for his interest in physics, business, and problem-solving. This decision set him on a trajectory that would later lead him to the University of Pennsylvania and ultimately to Silicon Valley, where he would make his mark as an entrepreneur.

During his time in Canada, Musk also displayed his innate ability to take initiative and seek out opportunities. He cold-called executives in search of mentorship and professional guidance, a strategy that led him to a summer internship under Peter Nicholson, a top executive at Scotiabank. This early exposure to the corporate world helped him understand financial systems and business strategy, reinforcing his belief in innovation as a tool for solving global challenges.

The hardships Musk endured in Canada were crucial in shaping his perspective on perseverance and problem-solving. His early experiences of working long hours in physically demanding jobs instilled in him a work ethic that would later define his approach to building companies like Tesla and SpaceX. More importantly, these struggles reinforced his belief that success comes from relentless effort, adaptability, and an unwavering commitment to long-term goals.

His time in Canada also played a role in shaping his entrepreneurial mindset, as he learned to navigate a new country with limited resources and create opportunities from scratch. The resilience he built during this period became a defining trait in his career, allowing him to tackle ambitious goals such as making electric vehicles mainstream and advancing space exploration. These formative years highlighted the stark contrast between where he started and where he would eventually rise, proving that determination and vision can overcome even the most difficult beginnings.

Looking back, Musk’s journey through Canada was more than just an immigration story—it was a period of transformation. The physical labor, financial hardships, and constant uncertainty forced him to develop the grit and ambition that would later propel him to success. These experiences, often overshadowed by his later accomplishments, played a fundamental role in shaping the mindset of one of the most influential figures in technology today.