Few people really know who Kimbal Musk is beyond being "Elon's brother." This 52-year-old entrepreneur, born like all his siblings in Pretoria, South Africa, is a rather peculiar figure in the Musk universe: always wearing his unmistakable cowboy hat, with a fortune close to $700 million, and a completely different vision from his older brother on how the world should work.

What’s interesting is that Kimbal Musk just launched a pretty direct critique of Trump on X, questioning his tariff policies and pointing out how they have negatively impacted American consumers. Nothing surprising coming from someone who has historically been very vocal about sustainability and social justice issues, but it is noteworthy that Kimbal Musk dares to publicly question decisions that, in some ways, could benefit his own brother.

The Musk family has a fascinating history. Kimbal grew up alongside Elon and his younger sister Tosca in a challenging environment, marked by domestic violence that forced them to flee South Africa. Their mother Maya had to divorce in 1979 to protect the three of them. Then came Canada, followed by the United States, where Elon and Kimbal Musk took their first major business step: founding Zip2, an internet business software platform that they sold in 1999 to Compaq for $307 million.

Although they share unmistakable physical traits (square jaw, straight nose, green eyes, and triple nationality: South African, Canadian, and American), their paths diverged significantly. While Elon focused on space technology and electric vehicles, Kimbal Musk has dedicated more energy to projects related to sustainable food and equitable access to resources. And yes, always with that cowboy hat that has become his personal trademark.

Despite their occasional public differences, the brothers maintain a strong relationship. Blood doesn’t make the river flow, as they say, and the Musks love each other intensely. But it’s clear that Kimbal Musk has his own agenda and his own voice in the public conversation.