There's a name for the feeling that it all turned out like it should have: narrative bias.

But the thing about charting a career — especially one as remarkable as that of Elon Musk — is that you can never know the results of a decision before you make it.

That's why we thought it would be useful to pinpoint the moments when the billionaire found himself at a crossroads and see which path he chose.

Here are nine of those critical turning points.