Elon Musk’s time at the University of Pennsylvania was marked by several peculiar behaviors and distinctive traits, according to those who knew him during his college years. One of his former classmates and a brief girlfriend recently opened up about his time at Penn, offering a glimpse into the eccentricities that would later shape his rise as a tech mogul. Musk, who studied both economics at the Wharton School and physics at the College of Arts and Sciences, was not your typical student. While many at Penn were focused on their social lives or future careers in finance, Musk often stood apart, pursuing a path that seemed unusual at the time.

His former classmate recalled that Musk would spend hours in the library, reading not just textbooks, but an eclectic mix of science fiction, philosophy, and complex technical literature. He was known for his relentless curiosity and often bizarre theories about technology and the future. One memorable instance was Musk’s habit of discussing space travel and the colonization of Mars long before these ideas became mainstream topics of discussion. His passion for such far-reaching concepts often made him appear out of place among his peers, who were mostly concerned with traditional paths to success.

Musk’s girlfriend from that time described him as a somewhat awkward, intensely driven person, obsessed with his vision of the future. She mentioned how he had a tendency to immerse himself in long discussions about the potential of artificial intelligence and space exploration, even though few of his classmates were as invested in these subjects. His focus on his studies and future goals was so intense that he often skipped out on typical college experiences, like social events or casual gatherings, in favor of pursuing knowledge and projects that were far ahead of their time.

There were also accounts of Musk’s peculiar living habits during his time at Penn. He was said to have lived in a small, sparsely furnished apartment with little regard for typical comforts. According to his former girlfriend, Musk’s living space was filled with old computers, books, and papers scattered everywhere. Despite the apparent chaos, Musk was always working on some new project or idea. One of the strangest things he did, she recalled, was attempting to build his own rocket in the back of his apartment, something that would foreshadow his later ventures with SpaceX.

Perhaps the most telling aspect of Musk’s time at Penn was his ability to think outside the box, even in his youth. While most students were working toward immediate goals like securing a job or internship, Musk was already dreaming on a much larger scale. His classmates often saw him as a bit of an oddball, but those who got to know him saw the deep intelligence and singular vision that would ultimately lead him to create groundbreaking companies like PayPal, Tesla, and SpaceX.

In hindsight, these strange behaviors and obsessions appear to be the early signs of the visionary and disruptor Musk would become. His time at the University of Pennsylvania, marked by his unorthodox actions and deep intellectual curiosity, set the stage for a career that continues to challenge the status quo and reshape industries.