You know Elon Musk, of course. But have you ever heard of his brother Kimbal? He is a fascinating figure who deserves our attention.

Kimbal Musk, 52, is an entrepreneur and philanthropist who has amassed an impressive fortune of roughly 700 million dollars. Unlike his more media-covered younger brother, he maintains a more low-key image, recognizable in particular by his ever-present, signature cowboy hat. It has become his trademark.

What surprises many people is that his wealth comes mainly from a minor stake in Tesla—just 0.04%—but one that has turned out to be extraordinarily lucrative over the years. Not bad for a simple shareholding.

Recently, Kimbal has been making headlines by posting sharp criticisms on X about Trump’s tariff policy, denouncing the taxes imposed on American consumers. It’s interesting because it shows a certain independence of thought from his brother. Yet, despite their occasional public differences, the Musks genuinely love each other.

The two brothers share remarkable traits: born in Pretoria, South Africa, they hold South African, Canadian, and American nationalities. They have the same square jaw, the same straight nose, the same green eyes. But while Elon chose to dominate the world of technology and industry, Kimbal took a different path, especially toward environmental and social causes.

Their family history is marked by hardships. Along with their younger sister Tosca, three years younger, they experienced a difficult childhood before their mother Maya divorced in 1979 and first emigrated to Canada, then to the United States.

It was in the United States that the two brothers launched Zip2, a pioneering company in enterprise software for the Internet. They sold it in 1999 to Compaq for the considerable sum of 307 million dollars. An entrepreneurial success that marked the beginning of their remarkable journey.