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He’s known for building rockets, rethinking transportation, and occasionally naming children like they’re software updates. But Elon Musk also has a knack for spotting clever minds — often through a deceptively simple question. It’s a favourite in his interviews, and if you can crack it, you’re probably wired for the kind of problem-solving that gets his attention.

The riddle that reveals how you think

Picture this: You’re standing somewhere on Earth. You walk one mile south, then one mile east, then one mile north — and somehow, you end up exactly where you started. So, where are you?

Most people scratch their heads for a moment, run through maps in their minds, and mutter something about compasses. But the classic answer is the North Pole. If you start precisely at the North Pole, take those steps, and account for the Earth’s curve, you’ll loop back to your starting point.

That’s clever enough — but there’s a twist. There are actually other locations near the South Pole where this path could work, depending on how circles of latitude align with that one-mile loop. Musk’s real interest isn’t in whether you know the obscure geography — it’s whether you’re willing to challenge your assumptions and think beyond the obvious.

Why Musk asks brain teasers like this

Musk isn’t after trivia buffs — he’s looking for minds that are comfortable with ambiguity. Questions like these are less about getting it “right” and more about how you think. They test your logic, your spatial awareness, and your willingness to pause and reframe a problem.

Other tech giants have embraced similar puzzles. Google famously asked, “Why are manhole covers round?” and Microsoft once threw out, “How would you move Mount Fuji?” The goal? Not to get a correct answer, but to spark insight into how you analyse challenges and whether you freeze when thrown a curveball.

The kind of people he wants on his team

When Musk interviews candidates — especially in his earlier days at Tesla and SpaceX — he’s known for skipping past the polished CVs and jumping straight into questions that test real-time reasoning. It’s not about academic brilliance or memorised facts. It’s about curiosity, resilience, and the ability to stay calm under pressure.

Years ago, I sat through a tech interview where someone asked me how I’d design a toaster for use on Mars. I had absolutely no idea — but the point wasn’t to build the toaster. It was to see how I approached the unknown. That lesson stuck with me: sometimes the question is there just to see if you can think out loud without panicking.

Musk’s style is similar, though the stakes are a bit higher when you’re designing spacecraft.

Give the riddle a go — and see who solves it

Even if you’re not aiming for a job at one of Elon Musk’s companies, this kind of riddle is a brilliant way to stretch your brain. It forces you to ditch everyday thinking and embrace mental flexibility. And it’s fun — especially when you spring it on a room of friends and watch the gears turn.

Here’s the question again: walk one mile south, one mile east, and one mile north — and you end up where you started. Where are you?

(And no, “lost in the woods” doesn’t count.)

What this teaches us about interviews — and ourselves

Ultimately, the puzzle is just a reminder that the best thinking often happens when we’re outside our comfort zone. Whether you’re tackling complex challenges, prepping for a big interview, or just having a go at a logic game on your lunch break, the ability to think deeply, flexibly, and creatively is always an asset.

So next time someone throws you a question that makes no sense at first, don’t panic. Take a step back, think it through, and maybe — just maybe — you’ll find yourself back where you started, but with a whole new perspective.

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