The Musk family, long a subject of public fascination due to the meteoric rise of Elon Musk, now finds itself at the center of a deeply troubling and highly publicized controversy. Errol Musk, the 79-year-old father of the tech billionaire, has been accused of sexually abusing five of his children and stepchildren over a period stretching back more than three decades. These allegations, documented in a recent New York Times investigation and echoed by The Independent and other outlets, have shaken the family and brought renewed scrutiny to a figure who has often lingered in the shadow of his famous son.
The initial accusation against Errol Musk dates back to 1993, when his then four-year-old stepdaughter reported to relatives that he had inappropriately touched her. According to The New York Times, this was only the beginning of a series of disturbing claims. Over the years, two additional daughters and a stepson have also accused Errol of sexual abuse, with allegations spanning from South Africa to California. Family members say the abuse continued for years, and as recently as 2023, a five-year-old son—whom Errol shares with his stepdaughter—confided to relatives that his father had groped him.
Three separate police investigations have been launched into the allegations. Two were closed without action, and the fate of the third remains unclear, as reported by The New York Times. Despite the gravity of the accusations and the involvement of law enforcement, Errol Musk has not been convicted of any crime. He maintains his innocence, calling the reports "false and nonsense in the extreme." In statements provided to both The New York Times and The Independent, Errol has accused family members of fabricating stories to extract money from Elon Musk, stating, "There was no evidence because this is nonsense."
Family members, however, paint a very different picture. Elmie Smit, whose sister Heide-Mari Bezuidenhout was Errol's third wife and the mother of the stepdaughter at the center of many of the allegations, told The New York Times that Errol has "left a massive wound in our family." The depth of the family's pain is evident in their repeated pleas for help to Elon Musk. In 2010, one relative wrote a five-page letter to the Tesla CEO, imploring, "We really need your advice, help and guidance in these matters because we daily see these children suffer." While it is unclear if Musk personally read the letter, his assistant reportedly reached out to a family member afterward.
Elon Musk, for his part, has at times intervened to support family members in distress. According to The New York Times, he has provided financial assistance to his former stepsister, including paying for her rehabilitation and private school tuition for his half-sisters. The stepdaughter, now 37, told the paper, "Elon has always been there," and confirmed that he continues to send her monthly support and has bought her a car. Musk also reportedly paid a contractor to repair Bezuidenhout's house when she was living in difficult conditions and funded private schooling for her children.
The family history is marked by tragedy and turmoil. Bezuidenhout, after withdrawing charges against Errol as part of a divorce settlement that included a house, car, and monthly allowance, remarried him and removed her children from a welfare home. Her youngest son died in a car accident at age 16. The stepdaughter, meanwhile, struggled with drug use and spent time in jail for allegedly stealing jewelry to support her addiction. She later obtained an interim protection order against Errol, alleging further sexual abuse, which he again denied, claiming she had "pounced on him while he was sleeping." In her application for the order, she also accused Errol of abusing his two daughters with Bezuidenhout and his stepson before his death.
Beyond the allegations of sexual misconduct, the Musk family saga is one of complicated relationships and shifting allegiances. Errol Musk, an engineer and alleged former emerald mine owner, has been married three times and has at least nine children and stepchildren. He was married to Maye Haldeman, a dietitian and model, in 1970. The couple had three children—Elon, Tosca, and Kimbal—before divorcing in 1979. In her 2019 memoir, Maye Musk alleged that Errol had physically and verbally abused her, claims he has denied.
Elon Musk himself has spoken about his difficult relationship with his father. In a 2017 interview with Rolling Stone, Musk said his father had done "almost every evil thing you could possibly think of." He continued, "My dad will have a carefully thought-out plan of evil. He will plan evil." In Walter Isaacson's 2023 authorized biography, Musk stated that he no longer communicates with Errol, a point echoed in recent reporting by The Guardian.
Despite Errol's assertions that he remains close with his eldest son, claiming they spent a weekend together 18 months ago, Elon Musk has distanced himself, both personally and publicly. Family members have also expressed frustration with Errol's recent attempts to capitalize on his son's fame, such as launching a Musk-themed meme coin and discussing plans for a "Musk Tower" in Dubai. Errol told The New York Times that he was "not associated" with these projects.
While the Musk family drama has often played out behind closed doors, the recent wave of allegations has brought their private pain into the public eye. The accounts of abuse, denial, and fractured relationships have cast a long shadow over the achievements of one of the world's most prominent entrepreneurs. As the investigations remain unresolved and the family continues to grapple with the fallout, the story serves as a stark reminder that even those who appear larger than life are not immune to tragedy and turmoil at home.
For the Musk family, the wounds of the past remain raw and unresolved, leaving a legacy that money and fame have yet to heal.
