For years, the Musk name has been synonymous with innovation, controversy, and relentless ambition. Yet, behind the public persona of Elon Musk—tech billionaire, frequent social media commentator, and subject of two major biographies—lies a private family saga marked by allegations of abuse, division, and enduring trauma. On September 23, 2025, The New York Times and several international outlets reported that Errol Musk, Elon’s 79-year-old father, stands accused of sexually abusing five of his children and stepchildren over a span of decades, with incidents allegedly occurring in both South Africa and California.
The earliest known allegation stretches back to 1993, when a four-year-old stepdaughter reportedly told relatives that Errol Musk had touched her at the family’s Pretoria home. A decade later, the same stepdaughter said she caught him sniffing her dirty underwear. These claims, detailed in police and court records, personal correspondence, and interviews with family members, were not isolated. Additional accusations involve Errol Musk’s two daughters and a stepson. In 2023, the cycle seemed to continue when a five-year-old son reportedly told a social worker and relatives about unwanted actions by his father, prompting further intervention attempts.
Law enforcement agencies have opened at least three separate investigations into these allegations—two of which concluded without action, while the outcome of the third remains uncertain. According to The Economic Times, Errol Musk has not been convicted of any crime. He has consistently and vehemently denied the accusations, dismissing them as “nonsense” and “false,” and accusing relatives of fabricating claims in an effort to extort his eldest son, Elon Musk. “There was no evidence because this is nonsense,” Errol Musk told The Times, further asserting that family members were “putting the children up to say false things.”
Despite the gravity of the allegations, Elon Musk has remained largely silent on the matter. He and his personal lawyer have not responded to requests for comment from The New York Times and other media outlets. However, his complicated relationship with his father is no secret. In a 2017 interview with Rolling Stone, Elon described Errol as having done “almost every evil thing you could possibly think of.” He elaborated, “You have no idea how bad. Almost every crime you can possibly think of, he has done. Almost every evil thing you could possibly think of, he has done.” In a 2023 authorized biography by Walter Isaacson, Elon Musk stated unequivocally that he does not communicate with his father.
The Musk family’s troubles have not stayed confined to private correspondence or legal files. According to The New York Times, relatives have repeatedly reached out to Elon Musk for help, sometimes penning lengthy letters imploring him to intervene. One such letter from around 2010 read, “We really need your advice, help and guidance in these matters because we daily see these children suffer.” Whether Elon ever read this particular plea remains unclear, but his assistant did respond to at least one family member after relatives wrote to him about the abuse allegations.
Though Elon Musk did not directly participate in police investigations, he has provided financial support to his stepfamily and siblings from his father’s third marriage. He even attempted to keep some family members in California, away from Errol Musk, purchasing a $2 million house in Malibu for them. According to family interviews, when the situation escalated in California—after the stepdaughter, then 14, reported finding Errol Musk sniffing her underwear—a restraining order was issued against Errol. Following these events, Elon reportedly moved his father onto a boat in Los Angeles before sending him back to South Africa. Errol Musk has claimed he left the United States voluntarily.
The Musk family tree is complex, shaped by three marriages and at least nine children and stepchildren. Errol’s first marriage to Maye Haldeman produced Elon, Tosca, and Kimbal Musk. After their divorce, Errol married twice more, the third time to Heide-Mari Bezuidenhout, who had three children from a previous marriage. According to family accounts, Ms. Bezuidenhout struggled with mental health issues, and her children spent time in a welfare home during periods of family upheaval.
The allegations against Errol Musk have had a ripple effect on the entire family. The former stepdaughter, who was at the center of the earliest accusations, has struggled with drug addiction, homelessness, and ongoing trauma. Elon Musk has, at various points, paid for her rehabilitation and provided monthly financial support—reportedly around 30,000 rand (approximately $1,700) as of 2023. The same year, Elon made a rare public comment about his father on social media, stating that one condition for supporting Errol Musk was that he would not “engage in bad behavior,” yet noting, “nonetheless did.”
Family members have described Errol Musk as maintaining a “powerful grip” over much of the family. Some have accused him of papering over or lying about the family’s troubled history, even as he has become more outspoken about his business ventures and the Musk name. In recent years, Errol has publicly denied any wrongdoing, at times claiming to have a close relationship with Elon—a claim sharply contradicted by Elon’s own statements and the family’s estrangement.
The Musk saga is not without its shades of gray. Court and police records from both South Africa and Los Angeles have been difficult to obtain, often withheld due to privacy concerns or lost over time. Some family members have chosen to remain anonymous, fearing retribution or simply wishing to keep their painful experiences private. Others, like Elmie Smit—the sister of Errol’s third wife—have come forward publicly for the first time, determined to shed light on what they describe as a “massive wound” in the family.
For Elon Musk, the allegations and the resulting family rift have cast a long shadow over his otherwise public life. While he has shared much about his business ventures, personal philosophies, and even his political views, the topic of his father remains largely off-limits—a private pain that continues to haunt the world’s richest man. As the accusations against Errol Musk remain unresolved in the court of public opinion, the Musk family’s story serves as a stark reminder that even the most powerful are not immune to the wounds of the past.
