When you think about Elon Musk, you probably picture rockets, electric cars, artificial intelligence, and ambitious ideas that seem far ahead of their time. But have you ever wondered what Elon Musk actually enjoys doing when he is away from his work? I find his hobbies interesting because they offer a different look at the person behind some of the world’s most talked-about companies and technologies.
You may be surprised to learn that Musk’s interests go beyond business and technology. From gaming and science fiction to reading, problem-solving, and exploring ideas about the future, his interests reveal how curiosity and imagination can shape the way someone spends their free time. In this article, I’ll explore Elon Musk’s hobbies and interests, what he has publicly shared about them, and how these activities connect with his passion for technology, creativity, and innovation.
What Are Elon Musk’s Main Hobbies?
Musk’s most clearly documented recreational interests include:
- Playing video games
- Reading books and science fiction
- Computers and programming
- Watching movies and television
- Listening to music
- Dungeons & Dragons and tabletop gaming
- Comics and science-fiction culture
- Baking and cooking-related activities
- Spending time with family and friends
- Exploring technology and new ideas
Video games stand out as the activity Musk has discussed most explicitly as a form of recreation. He has described gaming as a major way he relaxes and has spoken extensively about games such as Quake, Diablo, Elden Ring, and The Battle of Polytopia.
1. Playing Video Games
Video games are probably the most recognizable of Elon Musk’s hobbies.
Musk has played games since childhood. When he was about 12, he created a simple computer game called Blastar and sold it for $500. In an interview with the Computer History Museum, he recalled becoming fascinated with computers because they allowed him to create games himself. He described using the money from selling games to buy better computers and additional games.
His interest in gaming continued into adulthood.
Musk has discussed playing Quake, a classic first-person shooter, and has said that he spent substantial amounts of time playing it during college. In a later conversation with Joe Rogan, he explained that he likes games partly because of their intensity, immediate feedback, and competitive nature.
Other games associated with Musk include:
- Diablo
- Elden Ring
- The Battle of Polytopia
- Quake
- Fallout
- BioShock
- Deus Ex
His interest is not limited to one type of game. He has played fast-paced shooters as well as strategy and role-playing games.
Musk has also described video games as a way of mentally switching off from other pressures. In a 2023 interview with Lex Fridman, he called video games his “primary recreational activity” and said gaming helps calm his mind.
Why Does Elon Musk Like Video Games?
Musk’s own comments suggest that intensity, competition, problem-solving, and immediate feedback are important parts of the appeal.
That helps explain why games may fit his interests better than slower recreational activities. In a 2024 conversation, he specifically contrasted video games with golf, describing golf as too slow for his preferences while emphasizing the intensity of gaming.
2. Reading Books
Reading has been an important interest throughout Musk’s life.
As a child, Musk was described as an avid reader, particularly of science fiction. His early fascination with books was closely connected to his interest in technology, computers, space, and the future. PBS’s documentary material about Musk also describes his childhood interest in teaching himself programming through books and his tendency to spend significant amounts of time reading.
Reading is therefore more than a casual pastime in Musk’s story. It has been associated with the way he learned about subjects outside conventional classroom instruction.
Reports about his younger years describe him as extremely bookish. In a 2013 Computer History Museum interview, Musk himself recalled that he was “very bookish” and spent his time reading, working on computers, reading comics, and playing Dungeons & Dragons.
3. Science Fiction
Science fiction is one of the strongest recurring interests connected to Musk.
As a young reader, he consumed science-fiction literature extensively. Stories about space travel, artificial intelligence, advanced technology, and humanity’s future became part of the intellectual environment that shaped his interests.
His fascination with science fiction also connects with his later work in space technology. Musk has repeatedly discussed humanity becoming a multiplanetary civilization, while biographical accounts describe science fiction as an important influence during his childhood.
One particularly important work for Musk has been The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. Musk has described the book as influential in shaping how he thought about questions, technology, and the search for meaning.
This is an important distinction: reading science fiction can be considered a hobby, while Musk’s later interest in space exploration became a professional pursuit. The two are related, but they should not be treated as the same activity.
4. Computers and Programming
Computers were one of Musk’s earliest serious interests.
This hobby began when he was a child in South Africa. After encountering a Commodore VIC-20, Musk became interested in programming and taught himself how to write computer programs.
His early programming experience eventually led to Blastar, the video game he created and sold as a child. The Computer History Museum interview provides Musk’s own account of discovering computers, teaching himself programming, and creating games.
Today, programming and technology are obviously intertwined with Musk’s professional life, so it would be misleading to describe all of his technological work as a “hobby.”
However, his early fascination with computers clearly began as a personal interest before becoming part of his career.
This makes computers one of the clearest examples of a hobby evolving into professional expertise.
5. Movies and Television
Musk has also spoken about watching movies and television as part of his downtime.
In an account of how he spends his free time, Musk was reported to watch shows including Black Mirror and Silicon Valley. He has also discussed watching movies, although he indicated that he did so less frequently during particularly demanding periods of his life.
His connection with popular entertainment goes beyond simply watching it. Musk has appeared in productions including Iron Man 2, The Simpsons, and The Big Bang Theory.
Still, appearances in films or television should not automatically be considered hobbies. His documented interest is primarily in watching entertainment, rather than acting as a regular recreational pursuit.
6. Listening to Music
Music is another relatively ordinary leisure activity associated with Musk.
He has said that he listens to music in his car. Although music does not appear to occupy the same central role in his recreational life as video games, it is one of the simpler ways he has described spending downtime.
Musk has also experimented with making music. In 2020, he released an electronic track called “Don’t Doubt Ur Vibe.”
That experiment demonstrates an interest in music production, although it would be more accurate to describe music as an occasional creative interest rather than claim that Musk is primarily a musician.
7. Dungeons & Dragons and Tabletop Gaming
Dungeons & Dragons has a place in Musk’s childhood interests.
In his Computer History Museum interview, Musk recalled reading comics and playing Dungeons & Dragons when he was young. He also explained that some of the money he made from programming games went toward buying Dungeons & Dragons modules and better computers.
This is particularly interesting because tabletop role-playing games combine several interests associated with Musk’s younger years:
- Imagination
- Storytelling
- Technology
- Strategy
- Problem-solving
- Fantasy and science fiction
There is not enough evidence to suggest that Dungeons & Dragons is one of his major current hobbies, so it is best understood as a documented childhood and youth interest rather than a current daily pastime.
8. Comics
Comics were another part of Musk’s childhood recreational interests.
Musk has described himself as a very bookish child who spent time reading comics alongside books, programming, and playing Dungeons & Dragons.
His interest in comic-book culture also fits naturally with his broader fascination with science fiction and technology.
However, there is an important difference between saying Musk read comics as a child and claiming that collecting or reading comics remains one of his primary adult hobbies. The former is well documented; the latter should not be assumed without stronger evidence.
9. Baking and Cooking
Baking is one of the more unusual activities that has been reported among Musk’s leisure interests.
A 2020 profile of Musk’s free-time activities described Sunday morning baking sessions among his hobbies and downtime activities. The same report presented baking alongside gaming, reading, television, and themed social events.
This does not appear to be as consistently documented as his interest in video games or books, so it should be treated as a reported recreational activity rather than one of his defining hobbies.
That distinction matters when researching celebrity hobbies because online lists often turn a single anecdote into a permanent personal characteristic.
10. Spending Time With Family and Friends
Despite his highly public professional life, Musk has also described ordinary social activities as part of his downtime.
In discussing his hobbies, he mentioned spending time with his children and friends alongside listening to music, watching movies, and other everyday activities.
This is less of a conventional hobby than an example of how Musk has described his leisure time.
It also provides useful context: not every activity a public figure does outside work should be classified as a hobby. Some are simply normal parts of personal life.
Elon Musk’s Hobbies: Childhood vs. Adult Interests
One of the easiest ways to understand Musk’s hobbies is to separate his early interests from the recreational activities he has discussed as an adult.
| Interest | Childhood / Youth | Adult Hobby or Interest | Evidence |
| Video games | Yes | Yes | Strong |
| Reading | Yes | Yes | Strong |
| Science fiction | Yes | Ongoing influence | Strong |
| Computers | Yes | Primarily professional | Strong |
| Programming | Yes | Primarily professional | Strong |
| Dungeons & Dragons | Yes | Current status unclear | Documented youth interest |
| Comics | Yes | Current status unclear | Documented youth interest |
| Movies & TV | — | Yes | Documented |
| Music | — | Yes | Documented |
| Baking | — | Reported | Less consistently documented |
| Family and friends | — | Yes | Documented leisure activity |
The table shows why a simple “10 Elon Musk hobbies” list can sometimes be misleading. Some activities are genuine hobbies, some are childhood interests, and others eventually became careers.
Which Hobby Is Most Closely Associated With Elon Musk?
Video gaming is probably the strongest answer.
Musk has repeatedly talked about gaming throughout his adult life and has described it as a major recreational activity. He has also discussed specific games, competitive gaming, and the way gaming affects his mental state.
Reading and science fiction are also deeply connected to his personal history, but video games are more clearly documented as an ongoing adult recreational activity.
Did Elon Musk Have Hobbies as a Child?
Yes. Musk’s childhood interests included reading, computers, programming, video games, comics, and Dungeons & Dragons.
His early computer hobby was particularly significant because it developed into a practical skill. He taught himself programming, created Blastar, and sold the game when he was 12.
This progression illustrates an important pattern in Musk’s biography: some interests that began as entertainment gradually became connected to education, entrepreneurship, and eventually professional work.
Did Elon Musk’s Hobbies Influence His Career?
Some of them clearly appear to have influenced his interests and way of thinking, although it is difficult to draw a direct cause-and-effect line from a hobby to a specific business decision.
His early exposure to computers and programming gave him practical technical skills. Extensive reading of science fiction helped expose him to ideas involving space, technology, and the future. His long-term interest in video games has remained a major recreational activity.
Musk’s career, however, cannot simply be explained by his hobbies. Education, entrepreneurship, business decisions, collaborators, investment, engineering teams, and many other factors played major roles.
Why Are Elon Musk’s Hobbies Interesting?
Musk’s hobbies are interesting partly because several of them overlap with subjects that later became central to his professional life.
His childhood interest in computers led to programming. Reading included science fiction and technology related material. His gaming interest introduced him to computers and competitive digital environments. These activities did not automatically produce his later career, but they formed part of the broader collection of interests visible throughout his life.
The more useful lesson is not that every hobby should become a career. Instead, Musk’s biography shows how curiosity-driven interests can sometimes develop into skills, knowledge, or long-term areas of expertise.
What Can You Learn From Elon Musk’s Hobbies?
If you’re interested in Musk’s hobbies because you want to understand how he spends his free time, the answer is straightforward: gaming and reading are the clearest recurring interests.
If you’re interested because you want to choose hobbies inspired by him, it is better to focus on the underlying activities rather than trying to copy his lifestyle.
For example:
- Like technology? Try programming or electronics.
- Like games? Explore strategy or problem-solving games.
- Enjoy stories about the future? Read science fiction.
- Like creating things? Learn a programming language or build a small project.
- Enjoy tabletop games? Try Dungeons & Dragons with friends.
- Prefer passive entertainment? Explore films and television with a strong science-fiction or technology theme.
You do not need expensive equipment or extraordinary amounts of free time to explore these interests. Many can be started with resources you already have.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Elon Musk’s favorite hobby?
Video gaming is one of Elon Musk’s most clearly documented major hobbies. He has repeatedly described gaming as an important recreational activity and has discussed games including Quake, Diablo, Elden Ring, and The Battle of Polytopia.
Does Elon Musk play video games?
Yes. Musk has played video games since childhood and continues to discuss gaming as a major recreational interest. His gaming history includes Quake, Diablo, Elden Ring, The Battle of Polytopia, and other titles.
What video games does Elon Musk play?
Games associated with Musk include Quake, Diablo, Elden Ring, The Battle of Polytopia, Fallout, BioShock, and Deus Ex. His gaming interests span first-person shooters, strategy games, and role-playing games.
Does Elon Musk like reading?
Yes. Reading was a major part of Musk’s childhood, particularly science fiction. He has described himself as very bookish, and biographical accounts frequently discuss his extensive reading when he was young.
Did Elon Musk play Dungeons & Dragons?
Yes. Musk has described playing Dungeons & Dragons during his youth. He also recalled spending money earned from his early programming and game sales on Dungeons & Dragons modules and computers.
Does Elon Musk like science fiction?
Science fiction has been a long-standing interest in Musk’s life. He read science fiction extensively as a child and has frequently discussed ideas involving space, advanced technology, and humanity’s future.
Does Elon Musk like music?
Yes. Musk has said that he listens to music, including while driving, and he has also experimented with music production. In 2020, he released the electronic track “Don’t Doubt Ur Vibe.”
Does Elon Musk play golf?
Musk has discussed golf, but not as one of his preferred hobbies. In a conversation with Joe Rogan, he said golf was too slow for his taste and contrasted it with the intensity and immediate feedback of video games.
Conclusion
The most well-documented Elon Musk hobbies are video games, reading, science fiction, computers and programming, movies and television, music, and several childhood interests such as comics and Dungeons & Dragons.
Video games appear to be his strongest continuing recreational interest, while reading and science fiction have been important throughout his development. His early fascination with computers is especially notable because a childhood hobby eventually became a foundation for his professional career.
At the same time, not every activity associated with Musk should automatically be labeled a current hobby. Some are childhood interests, occasional leisure activities, or professional pursuits. Keeping those distinctions clear provides a more accurate picture of how Elon Musk actually spends his free time.
I’m James Anderson, a dedicated writer and lifelong learner who enjoys researching topics and explaining them in a practical way. Through my work at Cognivoora, I aim to give readers reliable, easy-to-follow information that helps them learn something new. I always try to keep my writing natural, useful, and focused on the questions readers actually have.
Books:
- A Practical Guide to Better Thinking
- Questions Worth Asking