Elon Musk's greatest hits

Musk has been a frequent presence in the headlines over the last few months due to the surprising success of Tesla Motors (TSLA), the electric car maker he co-founded in 2003. Tesla was also supported in its early stages by proceeds from the sales of Zip2 and PayPal.

The company burned through cash in its early years, at one point leaving Musk reliant on loans from friends. But it's turned a profit in the past two quarters thanks to strong sales of its Model S plug-in sedan, which has received rave reviews from outlets including Consumer Reports and Motor Trend.

Tesla is now focused on increasing production, adding dealerships and expanding its network of "supercharging" stations, aiming to have more than 100 locations across the country by the end of this year. Its stock has been on a tear in 2013, starting the year around $35 and trading close to $145 on Monday. That's good news for Musk, the company's largest shareholder.

NEXT: A family affair