Chapter 43: The Boring Company: 2016

In late 2016, Musk conceives The Boring Company after observing that cities are built in three dimensions but roads only in two. He rapidly acquires tunneling equipment, makes a public announcement via tweet, and by early 2017 begins excavating a prototype tunnel next to SpaceX headquarters, eventually completing a one-mile test tunnel by late 2018.

During a trip to Hong Kong in late 2016, Musk has a moment of inspiration when Jon McNeill asks about three-dimensional city design. Musk immediately calls SpaceX engineer Steve Davis to research cost-effective tunneling methods. Davis reports that standard tunneling machines cost $5 million; Musk orders two units. Back in Los Angeles and stuck in traffic, Musk tweets about his frustration and announces his new venture, settling on the name "The Boring Company" after considering alternatives like "Tunnels R Us." Musk decides to announce the project at the January 2017 Hyperloop student competition at SpaceX, where he dramatically orders tunneling to begin immediately in the adjacent lot. Within three hours, the two machines begin digging; by Sunday, a fifty-foot-wide hole and tunnel entrance are visible. Musk invests $100 million and oversees the project's design philosophy, pushing engineers like Joe Kuhn to eliminate unnecessary steps—for example, redesigning the machine to bore directly into the ground rather than requiring a vertical shaft. By December 2018, the one-mile prototype tunnel is nearly complete. Musk takes a high-speed test drive through it with his sons and girlfriend Grimes, declaring it will "change everything." By 2023, despite completing a 1.7-mile Las Vegas tunnel in 2021 and negotiating other projects, no additional major tunnels have been constructed.