I don't create companies for the sake of creating companies, but to get things done.

I feel very strongly that SpaceX would not have been able to get started, nor would we have made the progress that we have, without the help of NASA.

My motivation for all my companies has been to be involved in something that I thought would have a significant impact on the world.

When I was in college, I wanted to be involved in things that would change the world.

If you're trying to create a company, it's like baking a cake. You have to have all the ingredients in the right proportion.

If anyone thinks they'd rather be in a different part of history, they're probably not a very good student of history. Life sucked in the old days. People knew very little, and you were likely to die at a young age of some horrible disease. You'd probably have no teeth by now. It would be particularly awful if you were a woman.

The thing that's worth doing is trying to improve our understanding of the world and gain a better appreciation of the universe and not to worry too much about there being no meaning. And, you know, try and enjoy yourself. Because, actually, life's pretty good. It really is.