Elon Musk didn’t just challenge the car industry—he ambushed it, and Tesla’s the weapon that left giants scrambling. While Detroit churned out predictable sedans, Musk unleashed the Model S, a sleek predator that devoured sales records and gas stations alike. His secret? A cocktail of tech wizardry, direct-to-customer swagger, and a refusal to play by anyone’s rules but his own.

Now, Tesla’s rivals are playing catch-up, slapping batteries into their lineups while Musk plots his next move—think fleets of self-driving cabs or a world powered by solar-charged Teslas.

The man who once slept on factory floors has built an empire that’s less about cars and more about rewriting civilization’s roadmap. Buckle up: Elon’s just getting started.