Family of Elon Musk explained

Elon Musk's family consists of several notable individuals, among them his mother Maye Musk, a model and author, his father Errol Musk, a businessman and politician, his siblings Kimbal Musk and Tosca Musk, and his cousin Lyndon Rive. His ex-wives are Justine Musk and Tallauh Riley.

Maye Musk

Maye Musk ( Haldeman; born April 19, 1948)[1] is a model, dietitian and author.[2] [3] She has been a model for 50 years, appearing on the covers of magazines, including a Time magazine health edition, Women's Day, international editions of Vogue, and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She is the mother of Elon Musk, Kimbal Musk and Tosca Musk.[4] She holds Canadian, South African, and American citizenship. She is a registered dietitian.

Kimbal Musk

Kimbal James Musk (born 20 September 1972) is a South African restaurateur, chef, and entrepreneur. He owns The Kitchen Restaurant Group, a collection of restaurants located in Colorado and Chicago.[5] He is the co-founder and chairman of Big Green, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has built hundreds of outdoor classrooms called Learning Gardens in schoolyards across America.[6] [7] [8] Musk is also the co-founder and chairman of Square Roots, an urban farming company growing food in hydroponic, indoor, climate controlled shipping containers.[9] [10] [11] Musk currently sits on the boards of Tesla Inc. and SpaceX, both of which his brother Elon is the current CEO.[12] He was on the board of Chipotle Mexican Grill[13] from 2013 to 2019.[14] He is the brother of Tosca Musk, son of Errol and Maye Musk, and a major shareholder in Tesla.[15]

In 1995 he co-founded, with his brother, Elon Musk, the software company Zip2, which was acquired by Compaq for $307 million in 1999.

Tosca Musk

See main article: Tosca Musk. Tosca Musk (born 20 July 1974) is a South African filmmaker. She is an executive producer and director of feature films, television programs, and web content. Her work includes K. Bromberg's Driven, Rachel van Dyken's Matchmaker's Playbook, and her web series, Tiki Bar TV.[16] [17] Tosca is the younger sister of Elon Musk and Kimbal Musk, and daughter of Errol Musk and Maye Musk.[18] She co-founded the streaming service Passionflix.

Errol Musk

Errol Musk
Birth Date:1946
Birth Place:South Africa
Occupation:Engineer, politician, businessman
Office:Pretoria city councilman
Term:1972-1983
Party:Progressive Federal Party (resigned 1983)
Father:Walter Henry James Musk
Mother:Cora Amelia Robinson Musk
Spouse:

Partner:Jana Bezuidenhout
Children:7
Three with Maye: Elon, Kimbal, Tosca;
Two with Heidi, Two with Jana

Errol Musk is a retired South African engineer, politician, and businessman. Beginning in the 2010s, Musk was featured in media documenting his relationships with family including his wives, children, and former stepdaughter.

Errol Musk was born in South Africa. His mother, Cora Amelia, was British and his father Walter Henry James Musk was a South African army sergeant.[19]

He attended Clapham High School, where he dated Maye Haldeman. The pair married in 1970. The family lived in Pretoria, where Maye worked as a dietician and a model. Their first child, Elon Reeve Musk, was born in 1971, named after his wife's grandfather J. Elon Haldeman with Reeve from her maternal grandmother's maiden name.[20] [21]

On 9 March 1972, Musk was elected as an independent to represent Sunnyside on the Pretoria City Council.[22] [23] [24] [25]

He became a member of the recently-formed Progressive Federal Party and ran as their nominee in the 1981 election.[26] In 1983, his resignation from the party amid divisions over a constitutional referendum was front page news.[27]

Musk studied electromechanical engineering at the University of Pretoria, worked as an electrical and mechanical engineering consultant and developed properties. He specialised in retail and office property development.[19] Musk owned "one of the biggest houses in Pretoria" thanks to his lucrative engineering business which took on "large projects such as office buildings, retail complexes, residential subdivisions, and an air force base."[19] Musk also owned an auto parts store.[28] In 1979, Musk and wife Maye divorced .[29] Maye's book recalls that at the time of the divorce, he owned two homes, a yacht, a plane, five luxury cars, and a truck.[30]

Maye recounts a time during their divorce when she sought refuge at a neighbor's home after Errol showed up with a knife looking for her. [30] After the divorce, Musk repeatedly sued his ex-wife for custody of their children.[30] Musk was briefly married to a wife, Sue.[30]

In the early 1980s, Musk built a lodge in the Timbavati Game Reserve to rent to tourists.[25] In 1986, Musk acquired the output of three Zambian emerald mines, though he could not acquire the actual mines themselves. In interviews with Walter Issacson, Musk explained: "If you registered it, you would wind up with nothing, because the Blacks would take everything from you".[25]

In the 21st century, the former South African politician achieved notoriety for his relationships to ex-wife supermodel Maye Musk, his sons including businessman Elon Musk and restaurateur Kimbal Musk, his daughter filmmaker Tosca Musk, and his step-daughter turned partner Jana Bezuidenhout.

In 2014, Musk gave an interview to American media about his son Elon.[31] In 2017, Musk was interviewed by Neil Strauss of Rolling Stone for a profile of Elon titled "The Architect of Tomorrow".[32] In that piece Errol recalled that he had once shot and killed "three out of five or six armed people" who had broken into his home in self-defense.[32] [33] Elon described his father Errol as a "terrible human being", adding: "Almost every evil thing you could possibly think of, he has done."[32]

In March 2018, it was reported that Musk had fathered a child with his adult stepdaughter. In the early 1990s, Musk, then aged 45, had married Heide Bezuidenhout, a 25-year old he described as "one of the best looking women I’ve ever seen in my life".[34] They had two children.[35] His partner, Jana Bezuidenhout, had been his stepdaughter from that marriage and had been four years old at the time Musk married her mother and became her stepfather.[36]

In February 2018, Musk made headlines when he referred to his wealth during Elon's teen years in an interview with Business Insider South Africa. Musk described having "so much money we couldn't even close our safe" and mentioned his emerald dealings.[37] Snopes confirmed that Errol "at some point owned "a stake in an emerald mine" near Lake Tanganyika in Zambia".[38]

In 2019, Musk's ex-wife Maye published her memoir, A Woman Makes a Plan, a book in which she characterized her marriage as abusive and alleged Errol had been violent.[39] [30]

In July 2022, Musk gave an interview to the tabloid newspaper The Sun, announcing that he and Jana Bezuidenhout had had another child.[40] [41] Musk has a total of seven children, according to People magazine in November 2022.[42] On 1 August 2022, Musk appeared on The Kyle and Jackie O Show, an Australian radio show and made headlines for saying he was "not proud" of his son.[43]

In April 2023, Musk described his emerald mine as an "under the table" operation.[44] Musk was interviewed by author Walter Isaacson for his 2023 biography of Musk's son Elon, which discussed Errol Musk at length.[45] In June 2024, he gave an interview to The Sun tabloid in which he claimed Elon had upgraded his home security system.[46]

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: My 60th. Maye Musk's Nutrition Blogs. Blogger. Maye. Musk. December 12, 2016. June 21, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180621211414/http://mayemusk.blogspot.com/2010/01/feel-fantastic-at-60.html. live.
  2. Web site: At 68, Maye Musk, the Mother of Elon, Is Reclaiming the Spotlight . . Laura M. . Holson . April 30, 2016 . May 2, 2016 . June 28, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200628120358/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/01/fashion/elon-musk-mother-maye-musk-model-met-gala.html . live .
  3. Web site: Elon Musk's Mom Is a 67-Year-Old Model and Dietitian with Great Wellness Advice . . Kathleen . Hou . Maye . Musk . March 17, 2016 . May 2, 2016 . May 10, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170510164037/http://nymag.com/thecut/2016/03/maye-musk-elon-musk-model-interview.html . live .
  4. News: Meet Maye Musk, the glamorous model mother of billionaire Elon Musk. Grace. Kay. Business Insider. February 4, 2023. February 9, 2018. en. June 20, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200620133410/https://www.businessinsider.com/maye-musk-elon-musk-mother-model. live.
  5. News: Kimbal Reeve Musk to open restaurant on Mass Ave.. Indianapolis Star. 2017-07-31. en.
  6. News: Why every child deserves a learning garden. MNN - Mother Nature Network. 2017-07-31. en.
  7. News: Padden. Caroline. Learning Gardens: Connecting Kids to Real Food. 5280 Magazine. October 29, 2012. June 6, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131111234216/http://www.5280.com/blogs/2012/10/29/learning-gardens-connecting-kids-real-food. November 11, 2013. dead.
  8. News: Kimbal Musk — Elon's brother — is leading a $25 million mission to fix food in schools across the US. Business Insider. 2018-01-17. en.
  9. News: Kimbal Musk launches a revolutionary shipping container farm initiative in Brooklyn. Lauren. Jennifer. January 27, 2017. Inhabitat Magazine.
  10. News: Elon Musk's brother is building vertical farms in shipping containers. Garfield. Leanna. August 23, 2016. Business Insider.
  11. News: Elon Musk's Brother to Launch an Urban Farming Accelerator in Brooklyn. Scott. Bartie. August 23, 2016. Inc Magazine. https://web.archive.org/web/20180311051502/https://www.inc.com/bartie-scott/kimbal-musk-urban-farming-accelerator-square-roots.html. 2018-03-11. dead.
  12. Web site: Kimbal Musk Board of Directors Tesla, Inc.. 2020-09-02. ir.tesla.com. en.
  13. News: Chipotle Mexican Grill names Kimbal Musk to board. Denver Post. August 29, 2013.
  14. Web site: Kimbal Musk is stepping down from Chipotle's board. Fitzgerald. Maggie. 2019-03-14. CNBC. 2019-04-10.
  15. http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/tsla/ownership-summary Musk profile
  16. News: Meet Elon Musk's Rather Impressive Family. 2oceansvibe.com.
  17. News: paidContent.org - Tiki Bar TV Tests The Pay-To-Watch Webisode Model . The Washington Post . Tameka . Kee . 19 May 2009 .
  18. News: Model Maye Musk On Defying The Odds And Her Influence On Elon. forbes.com.
  19. Book: Vance, Ashlee . Elon Musk: Tesla, Paypal, SpaceX: l'entrepreneur qui va changer le monde . Eyrolles . 2017 . 9782212594379 . 40 . pt . Ashlee Vance .
  20. News: Holson . Laura M. . 30 April 2016 . At 68, Maye Musk, the Mother of Elon, Is Reclaiming the Spotlight . . live . 15 July 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200628120358/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/01/fashion/elon-musk-mother-maye-musk-model-met-gala.html . 28 June 2020 . 0362-4331.
  21. Web site: Hull . Dana . May . Patrick . 20 April 2014 . Exploring the otherworldly ambitions of Elon Musk . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220417231627/https://buffalonews.com/business/local/exploring-the-otherworldly-ambitions-of-elon-musk/article_2fc57479-93eb-5016-b724-016b48a4f4f3.html . 17 April 2022 . 2022-07-15 . Buffalo News.
  22. News: Eligon . John . Chutel . Lynsey . 2022-05-05 . Elon Musk Left a South Africa That Was Rife With Misinformation and White Privilege . en-US . . live . 2023-09-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221111015804/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/05/world/africa/elon-musk-south-africa.html . 11 November 2022 . 0362-4331.
  23. Book: Vlismas, Michael . Elon Musk: Risking it All . Jonathan Ball Publishers. 2022 . 978-1776191857.
  24. "Reaction against the Establishment." (9 Mar 1972) Pretoria News, cited in Isaacson
  25. Book: Isaacson, Walter. Elon Musk. September 12, 2023. Simon and Schuster. 978-1-3985-2751-5 . Google Books.
  26. Sussman . Gary . The referendum in F.W. de Klerk's war of manoeuvre: An historical institutionalist account of the 1992 referendum . 2003 . PhD . .
  27. "The reported resignation of Errol Musk, the PFP candidate for Sunnyside (Pretoria)election was made a front-page story. Die Burger. 4 October 1983"
  28. Plugged In - The New Yorker. The New Yorker . October 10, 2014. 28 June 2024. 10 October 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141010001525/http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/08/24/plugged-in. bot: unknown . Friend . Tad .
  29. Friend . Tad . Tad Friend . 2009-08-24 . Plugged In . . 85 . 25 . 50–59.
  30. Book: Musk, Maye. A Woman Makes a Plan: Advice for a Lifetime of Adventure, Beauty, and Success. December 31, 2019. Penguin. 978-1-9848-7851-9 . Google Books.
  31. Web site: Apr 13, 2014, page 10 - Oakland Tribune at Newspapers.com. Newspapers.com.
  32. Elon Musk: The Architect of Tomorrow. Neil. Strauss. . November 15, 2017.
  33. Web site: Jun 03, 2020, page A13 - Evening Standard at Newspapers.com. Newspapers.com.
  34. Like Father Like Son: Elon Musk's Dad Has Secret Second Kid With Stepdaughter. Tomás. Mier. . July 14, 2022.
  35. News: Crilly . Rob . Rob Crilly . 25 March 2018 . Elon Musk's father has baby with step-daughter he has known since she was four . . live . 15 July 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210426231132/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/03/25/elon-musks-father-has-baby-step-daughter-has-known-since-four/ . 26 April 2021 . 0307-1235.
  36. Ball . Molly . Kluger . Jeffrey . De la Garza . Alejandro . Elon Musk Is TIME's 2021 Person of the Year . 9 September 2023 . . 13 December 2021 . en.
  37. Web site: Wet . Phillip de . Phillip de Wet . 23 February 2018 . 'We had so much money we couldn't even close our safe': Elon Musk's Dad tells BI about the family's insanely casual attitude to wealth . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221128160121/https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musks-dad-tells-bi-about-the-familys-casual-attitude-to-wealth-2018-2 . 28 November 2022 . 28 November 2022 . Business Insider.
  38. Web site: Liles . Jordan . 17 November 2022 . What We Know About Elon Musk and the Emerald Mine Rumor . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230408192229/https://www.snopes.com/news/2022/11/17/elon-musk-emerald-mine/ . 8 April 2023 . 21 March 2023 . . en.
  39. Maye Musk on Escaping Domestic Abuse and Raising Three Geniuses (Including Elon) on Her Own. November 15, 2019. Harper's BAZAAR.
  40. Web site: Sharma . Shweta . 15 July 2022 . Elon Musk's father confirms second child with his own stepdaughter - report . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220715150026/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/elon-errol-musk-children-stepdaughter-b2123744.html . 15 July 2022 . 15 July 2022 . The Independent.
  41. Web site: Biggs . Jade . 16 July 2022 . Elon Musk's dad reveals he fathered an "unplanned" child with his stepdaughter . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220715150205/https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/reports/a40621623/errol-musk-fathered-child-with-stepdaughter/ . 15 July 2022 . 15 July 2022 . Cosmopolitan.
  42. Web site: Sager . Jessica . 7 November 2022 . Who Is Elon Musk's Estranged Father? All About Errol Musk . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221124093348/https://people.com/human-interest/who-is-errol-musk-elon-musk-father/ . 24 November 2022 . 28 November 2022 . People.
  43. News: Elon Musk's father says he isn't proud of his son. Gloria. Oladipo. August 1, 2022. The Guardian.
  44. News: What's that going up in flames? Why, it's Elon Musk's reputation. Arwa. Mahdawi. April 25, 2023. The Guardian.
  45. News: Pearce . Matt . The biggest ideas and pettiest rages in Walter Isaacson's Elon Musk biography . 12 September 2023 . . September 11, 2023.
  46. Web site: Elon Musk increased security for his 76-year-old father Errol amid kidnapping fears, report says. Sam. Tabahriti. Business Insider.