Elon Musk's Brother Kimbal Shares The 'Holy S***' Moment When They Knew Their First Company's Product Was Destined For 'Everyone Forever'

Tech billionaire Elon Musk's brother, Kimbal Musk, spilled the beans on what led to the founding of Zip2, their first company together.

What Happened: In an episode of the Lex Fridman Podcast, Kimbal revealed the journey that led to him and Elon co-founding Zip2, an internet version of the Yellow Pages telephone directly.

Kimbal reveals that the two Musk brothers set off on a U.S. road trip before launching Zip2 in 1995. A breakdown in South Dakota’s Badlands led to an unplanned adventure and a lesson in generosity from a stranger.

See Also: Every $1 Spent On Nvidia H100 GPU Could Result In Up To $12 In Additional Tech Spending

"We went into this company called Navtech, my brother and I, and we just asked for the data and this is Silicon Valley. We put it up on the internet and back in those days, it might take 60 to 120 seconds to actually give you an answer back, but it was amazing."

"We were the first two humans to see it on the internet because this stuff didn't even exist to the world."

The two Musk brothers realized that this technology had immense potential. "Before this moment you could not be told your directions and all of a sudden you could. It wasn't like a little thing."

Prior to Zip2’s establishment, the Musk brothers approached Navtech, a Silicon Valley firm, for data. They were permitted to use this data online, resulting in the internet’s first vector-based mapping.

"Holy s***. This is going to be used by everyone all the time forever."

Why It Matters: Despite being a top 100 website and utilized by major entities, Zip2 encountered criticism and financial hurdles. However, Kimbal Musk views it as a success and a crucial part of his entrepreneurial journey.

The Musk brothers’ road trip adventure, their experiences with Navtech, and the creation of the first vector-based mapping on the Internet highlight the innovative spirit that drove their success.

The struggles and triumphs of Zip2 also serve as a testament to the resilience and determination of entrepreneurs.

Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by following this link.

Read Next: Google CEO's Anxiety Exposed? Leaked Email Reveals How Sundar Pichai Was Spooked About Losing Talent

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

Photos courtesy: Wikimedia, and Ted Conference on Flickr