Elon Musk Birthday Cake: Shivon Zilis Recreates Clown Cake

The image went viral almost immediately, generating waves of warmth across social media in a way that even Musk’s most headline-grabbing announcements rarely do. Something about the sight of the world’s wealthiest man grinning at a clown cake from his South African boyhood struck a nerve, a rare, unguarded glimpse of the person behind the empire.

It is not the first time Musk’s sweet tooth has surfaced publicly. He has previously shared childhood photos of himself eating ice cream in a Mickey Mouse shirt, smeared and visibly delighted, and has spoken openly about his love of Indian food and other indulgences over the years.

For one day at least, the man building the future was happy to look back.