Introduction

When we think of Elon Musk, we think of big tech innovations: Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and more. But before all of this, Musk was an important part of X.com, an online payment company. X.com later merged with Confinity to become PayPal. During those early days of PayPal, an interesting tech debate came up: Elon Musk preferred using Windows NT instead of Linux for the company’s infrastructure. 🤯

The PayPal Context

After the merger between X.com (Musk’s company) and Confinity, they created the first version of PayPal. Musk was named CEO of the new company, but there were disagreements about which technology to use to grow the payment platform.

One of the biggest points of disagreement was which operating system to use. Many engineers wanted to use Linux, but Musk preferred Windows NT for the servers. 🖥️

Why Did Musk Prefer Windows? 🤔

Musk supported Windows NT for several reasons:

• Familiarity: Musk had more experience with Windows and thought it would be easier for the team.
• Business support: Microsoft offered strong support for businesses, which was helpful for a growing company.
• User-friendly interface: Compared to Linux, Windows NT had a more intuitive graphical interface for managing servers.

Despite Musk's arguments, many engineers believed Linux was a better choice for a company that needed to grow fast. Linux offered more stability, security, and flexibility. 🐧💪

The Internal Coup 🚨

In September 2000, Musk took a vacation after marrying Justine Musk. During his time away, executives like Peter Thiel and CTO Max Levchin organized a plan to replace Musk as CEO. 😱

One reason for the change was Musk’s insistence on using Windows NT instead of Linux, which many in the company disagreed with. After Musk was fired, PayPal switched its infrastructure to Linux, following the trend in tech.

The Evolution of X.com and the Domain’s Return 🔄

Elon Musk started X.com in 1999 as an online payments company. In 2000, X.com merged with Confinity, and later, the company became known as PayPal. Musk was forced out as CEO after the merger.

In 2002, eBay bought PayPal, but Musk never forgot about X.com. In 2017, Musk bought the X.com domain back, saying it had “great sentimental value.” 🚀

Fast forward to 2023, Musk bought Twitter and renamed it X, using the domain X.com to direct people to the new platform. So, X.com returned, but not as a payments company, instead as the new social media platform that replaced Twitter. 🐦➡️❌

What Operating Systems Do Musk’s Companies Use Today? 🔍

Even though Musk lost the Windows vs Linux fight at PayPal, his current companies, like Tesla and SpaceX, depend heavily on Linux. Here’s a look at what they use:

• Tesla: The control systems and entertainment software in Tesla cars run on Linux. 🚗🐧
• SpaceX: From the rocket software to mission control, Linux is the backbone of SpaceX. 🚀📡
• Neuralink: While not much information is available, Linux is likely a logical choice for this advanced technology. 🧠🔌
• The Boring Company: Like Tesla and SpaceX, Linux is key in their tech infrastructure. 🛠️

Reflection: Musk’s Journey from Windows to Linux 🛤️

It’s interesting that, even though Musk originally preferred Windows NT, his companies now depend mostly on Linux. This shows how tech decisions can change to meet the needs of scalability, security, and performance. 🐧

In short, the PayPal story shows how tech choices can shape the future of a company. Even though Musk chose Windows in the beginning, his companies today use Linux to handle their large-scale operations.

Conclusion

This episode in Musk’s history shows that even tech visionaries face tough decisions. While Musk supported Windows NT in PayPal’s early days, his companies now use Linux to manage their critical operations at scale.

What do you think of this story? Did you know about this tech battle in PayPal’s early days? Leave your comment below! 👇💬

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