Elon Musk reportedly has a special riddle he likes to ask job seekers (Credit: Getty)

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

It’s safe to say that you probably handled your fair share of job interviews.

But instead of the typical “five-year-old me,” the SpaceX boss likes to throw curveballs.

One of her favorite interview questions was recently posed to TikTok viewers by influential mathematician Tanya Zakovich, who goes by @pinkpencilmath.

The joke question sounds like this:

you are standing on the surface of the earth Walk 1 mile south, 1 mile west, and 1 mile north. You will end exactly where you started. Where are you?

According to Zakovich, candidates who answer successfully are immediately given follow-up questions, leaving little time to rejoice.

where else

Of course, the answer is easy if you know. But if not, it might take some lateral thinking to figure it out. Scroll to the bottom of the article if you want to know the answer.

@mathematics with pink pencil

Elon’s math puzzle. You can get it?

♬ Original voice – Pink pencil

I know the answer doesn’t lead directly to a job at SpaceX, but Musk has always valued raw competition over qualifications and quality.

The world’s richest man told Auto Bild in 2014 that he “doesn’t need a college degree or even a high school” to work for Tesla.

Instead, look for evidence of “special abilities” in the few people who show up for interviews.

“With an exceptional track record of performance, this is likely to continue in the future,” he explained.

The billionaire said at the 2017 World Summit of Governments that he often asks each candidate the same question.

The reason, he explained, is that “people who have really solved the problem know exactly how to solve it.”

They know the details and can explain.

For someone with an engineering background like Musk’s, this might be a clearer indication of a person’s potential than a well-written resume.

Of course, it’s okay to throw puzzles.

riddle answer

Surface of planet Earth in outer space.  The stars and the Milky Way in the background.  Science fiction space background.  Elements of this image furnished by NASA (url: https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/iss060e007297.jpg)

The answer is the top or bottom of our planet (Credits: Getty)

If you were to stand on the surface of the earth and walk 1 mile south, 1 mile west, and 1 mile north to get to first place, there are only two places you would be.

You are at the North Pole or the South Pole.

Because of course, due to the curvature of the earth, walking a mile is not in a 2D plane, but along the meridians in a triangle back to the starting point.