Why Does Elon Musk Have a Neck Scar? Surgery History Explained

Many are wondering how Elon Musk got the neck scar, which affects him to date. In a new book, Musk detailed how he suffered this neck injury and underwent surgery. Despite this, his injury’s effects and pain persist to date. So, what happened to Musk’s neck, and what surgery did he opt for?

Here’s everything you need to know.

Why Elon Musk has a neck scar

Elon Musk’s neck scar stems from an injury he faced at his Japanese-themed birthday party in 2013. According to Walter Isaacson’s book, Elon Musk, Musk’s ex-wife, Talulah Riley, threw a Japanese birthday party to celebrate his 42nd birthday. The party was conducted at a castle in Tarrytown, New York. It featured a sumo match, wherein a samurai-dressed Musk was pitted against a 350-pound wrestling sumo champion. During their bout, Musk strongly attempted a “judo throw,” eventually injuring a disc in his neck in the process.

He described the event in the book, saying, “I went full strength at him to try a judo throw because I thought he was trying to take it easy on me. I decided to see if I could throw this guy, and I did. But I also blew out a disc at the base of my neck.” The injury caused him severe back and neck pain, prompting him to undergo surgeries (via New York Post).

What surgeries has Elon Musk had?

Musk underwent three surgeries in total to repair his C5-C6 intervertebral disc. One of them is likely disc replacement. Previously, the Tesla CEO did mention his plans of doing an MRI and then a potential surgery, putting his Zuckerberg match on hold. However, the match never happened, with Zuckerberg stating, “Elon isn’t serious, and it’s time to move on.”

While Musk’s other surgery remains unspecified, he did admit to opting for disc replacement. He recommended individuals suffering back and neck pain on X (formerly Twitter) to go for this surgery. Moreover, he mentioned the effectiveness of the surgery and how it reduced his pain levels. “It’s a game-changer. Took my pain level from 7 to 9 out of 10 to 1 to 4,” he wrote.

Shazmeen Navrange

Shazmeen is an Entertainment Journalist at ComingSoon. She holds a degree in multimedia and mass communication, specializing in advertising, but her ardor for cinema led her into entertainment journalism. While her cinematic preferences know no bounds, she specifically has fondness for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, psychological thrillers, horror, and films with profound philosophical undertones.