Connect with us
X
Categories:

Technology

Do you have what it takes to crack Elon Musk’s go-to interview puzzle?

Published

on

Elon Musk
Share this post:

Elon Musk made his money at PayPal and now runs two of the most successful tech companies in the world.

It’s fair to say, he’s probably handled his fair share of job interviews.

But, rather than the typical ‘where do you see yourself in five years’, the SpaceX boss likes to throw in a curveball.

One of his favourite interview riddles was recently posed to viewers on TikTok by maths influencer Tanya Zakowich, who goes by the handle @pinkpencilmath.

The brain-teasing question goes like this:

You’re standing on the surface of the Earth. You walk one mile south, one mile west, and one mile north. You end up exactly where you started. Where are you?

According to Zakowich, candidates that answer successfully aren’t given much time celebrate, because they’re immediatedly hit with a follow up question:

‘Where else?’

Of course, the answer’s easy if you know. But if you don’t, it might take a bit of lateral thinking to figure it out. Scroll to the bottom of the article if you want to know the answer.

While knowing the answer may not get you straight into a job at SpaceX, Musk has always placed more emphasis on raw ability rather than qualifications or degrees.

The world’s richest man told Auto Bild back in 2014 that in order to work for Tesla, ‘there’s no need even to have a college degree at all, or even high school.’

Instead, he looks for evidence of ‘exceptional ability’ in those few that ever make it into an interview with him.

‘If there’s a track record of exceptional achievement, then it’s likely that that will continue into the future,’ he explained.

The billionaire told the World Government Summit in 2017 that he often asks each candidate the same kind of question: ‘Tell me about some of the most difficult problems you worked on and how you solved them.’

The reason, he explained, is ‘the people who really solved the problem know exactly how they solved it.’

‘They know and can describe the little details.’

To someone with an engineering background like Musk, this likely gives a much clearer indication of someone’s potential than a well-scripted CV.

But of course, having a riddle thrown in there doesn’t hurt either.

The answer to the riddle

The answer is the top – or bottom – of our planet

If you’re standing on the surface of the Earth and walk a mile south, a mile west and a mile north, ending up back where you started, there are only two places you could be.

You’re either on the North Pole or the South Pole.

Because, of course, due to the curvature of the Earth, your one mile walk is not across a 2D plane but along a line of latitude that takes you in a triangular shape, right back to where you started.


Get More Stories Like This On: Facebook: @AllNaijaEntertainment, Twitter: @AllNaijaEntertainment
Expanding Living Space
Lifestyle2 months ago

Expanding Living Space: Prefabricated Workshop Building Kits for Extra Rooms

BeBe Winans
Lyrics2 months ago

BeBe Winans – It All Comes Down to Love [Lyrics]

BeBe Winans
Music2 months ago

[Music] BeBe Winans – It All Comes Down to Love

The Countdown Begins to the Tournament That Has It All
ANE Football Analytical3 months ago

AFCON 2023: A Sporting Spectacle Set to Captivate the World

Litecoin: What Makes It The Crypto Winner?
Technology3 months ago

Runny Inflation Can Drive Cryptocurrency Adoption

Black and White French Bulldog puppies Frenchie Joy
Lifestyle4 months ago

Black and White French Bulldog puppies Frenchie Joy

3 Serious Reasons to Keep Your Teenager Away From Social Media
Lifestyle4 months ago

3 Serious Reasons to Keep Your Teenager Away From Social Media

Boxing vs MMA What Makes Them So Different
Sports5 months ago

Boxing vs MMA: What Makes Them So Different

Roisea: Most Advanced Crypto Trading Platform for Bitcoin
Technology5 months ago

NFTs and Intellectual Property Rights: Shaping Creative Ownership

The Birth of a Rugby Nation South Africas Love Affair with the Sport
Sports9 months ago

The Birth of a Rugby Nation: South Africa’s Love Affair with the Sport

A Beginner's Guide to Radicle (RAD): The Future of Peer-to-Peer Development
Technology10 months ago

A Beginner’s Guide to Radicle (RAD): The Future of Peer-to-Peer Development

Analysis of Nigeria's Renewable Energy Sector: Opportunities and Challenges
Technology11 months ago

Analysis of Nigeria’s Renewable Energy Sector: Opportunities and Challenges

Casino Gaming Poker
Sports11 months ago

What Are The Various Types Of Online Slots?

Luka Modric celebrates after scoring Real Madrid's second goal against Celta Vigo.
Sports1 year ago

Luka Modric set to join Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr

WHO World Health Organization
Health1 year ago

WHO debunks claims that tuberculosis is caused by witchcraft, poison

Atiku Abubakar
News1 year ago

2023 Election: Why DSS must arrest Fani-Kayode – Atiku

PDP Logo Umbrella
News1 year ago

PDP suspends National Chairman

The Pastor Daughter Story by Miriam Edem _ ANE Story
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] THE PASTOR’S DAUGHTER (Final Episode 13)

The Pastor Daughter Story by Miriam Edem _ ANE Story
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] THE PASTOR’S DAUGHTER (Episode 12)

The Pastor Daughter Story by Miriam Edem _ ANE Story
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] THE PASTOR’S DAUGHTER (Episode 11)

The Pastor Daughter Story by Miriam Edem _ ANE Story
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] THE PASTOR’S DAUGHTER (Episode 10)

The Pastor Daughter Story by Miriam Edem _ ANE Story
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] THE PASTOR’S DAUGHTER (Episode 09)

The Pastor Daughter Story by Miriam Edem _ ANE Story
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] THE PASTOR’S DAUGHTER (Episode 08)

The Pastor Daughter Story by Miriam Edem _ ANE Story
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] THE PASTOR’S DAUGHTER (Episode 07)

The Pastor Daughter Story by Miriam Edem _ ANE Story
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] THE PASTOR’S DAUGHTER (Episode 06)

The Pastor Daughter Story by Miriam Edem _ ANE Story
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] THE PASTOR’S DAUGHTER (Episode 05)

The Pastor Daughter Story by Miriam Edem _ ANE Story
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] THE PASTOR’S DAUGHTER (Episode 04)

The Pastor Daughter Story by Miriam Edem _ ANE Story
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] THE PASTOR’S DAUGHTER (Episode 03)

The Pastor Daughter Story by Miriam Edem _ ANE Story
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] THE PASTOR’S DAUGHTER (Episode 02)

The Pastor Daughter Story by Miriam Edem _ ANE Story
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] THE PASTOR’S DAUGHTER (Episode 01)

The Pastor Daughter Story by Miriam Edem _ ANE Story
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] THE PASTOR’S DAUGHTER (Complete Episodes)

Papa Loves His Girls by Opeyemi Ojerinde Akintunde_ANE Stories
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] PAPA LOVES HIS GIRLS (Episode 16)

Papa Loves His Girls by Opeyemi Ojerinde Akintunde_ANE Stories
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] PAPA LOVES HIS GIRLS (Episode 15)

Papa Loves His Girls by Opeyemi Ojerinde Akintunde_ANE Stories
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] PAPA LOVES HIS GIRLS (Episode 14)

Papa Loves His Girls by Opeyemi Ojerinde Akintunde_ANE Stories
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] PAPA LOVES HIS GIRLS (Episode 13)

Papa Loves His Girls by Opeyemi Ojerinde Akintunde_ANE Stories
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] PAPA LOVES HIS GIRLS (Episode 12)

Papa Loves His Girls by Opeyemi Ojerinde Akintunde_ANE Stories
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] PAPA LOVES HIS GIRLS (Episode 11)

Papa Loves His Girls by Opeyemi Ojerinde Akintunde_ANE Stories
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] PAPA LOVES HIS GIRLS (Episode 10)

Papa Loves His Girls by Opeyemi Ojerinde Akintunde_ANE Stories
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] PAPA LOVES HIS GIRLS (Episode 09)

Papa Loves His Girls by Opeyemi Ojerinde Akintunde_ANE Stories
ANE Stories1 year ago

[STORY] PAPA LOVES HIS GIRLS (Episode 08)

ANE Billboard Hots