Elon Musk Was Once Labeled Different, But A Test He Took In His Teens Proved Everyone Wrong And His Mom Is ‘Proud’ To This Day: What Tesla CEO Said

by | Mar 12, 2026 | General

Once labeled “different” and misunderstood in school, Elon Musk stunned experts as a teen with record-breaking computer aptitude results.

Record-Breaking Teen Programming Test

At age 17, Musk took a computer aptitude test at the University of Pretoria, earning A+ grades in both operating and programming.

Earlier this week, responding to a social media post highlighting the test, Musk wrote, “They told me my score was the highest they’d ever seen, fwiw [for what it’s worth].”

As per the social media handle that shared the image, Musk’s results were so extraordinary that IBM reportedly had to re-evaluate him. Benzinga independently could not verify this and IBM did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comments.

Last year, his mother, Maye Musk, shared the image, calling him her “genius boy.”

At the time, Musk added, “They said I scored the highest for engineering aptitude that they had ever seen. Or, in other words, not bad for a human, as a future AI might say.”

Misunderstood Genius In Early Years

Musk, now the world’s richest man and the head of Tesla, SpaceX and Neuralink, faced skepticism and misjudgment as a child.

Enrolled in nursery school at age three against the principal’s advice, Musk often appeared lost in thought, prompting teachers to question his abilities.

His parents even considered a hearing problem and had his adenoids removed.

In his latest biography, Musk explained that his focus on deep thinking often made him appear detached.

From Childhood Adversity To Global Success

Despite loneliness and social struggles in his early years, Musk channeled his intellect and resilience into groundbreaking ventures.

Forbes recently released its 2026 Billionaires list, featuring a record 3,428 individuals worldwide with a net worth of $1 billion or more.

With $839 billion, Musk tops the list, marking an increase of $497 billion from last year.

Musk’s fortune now exceeds the combined wealth of the 693 lowest-ranked billionaires, often referred to by Forbes as the “poorest billionaires,” whose net worth ranges from $1 billion to $1.4 billion.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Photo: Shutterstock/Joshua Sukoff