Errol Musk#Career and investments

Errol Graham Musk was born to Walter and Cora Amelia Musk (née Robinson) in Pretoria on 25 May 1946. His father was South African and his mother was English. He attended Clapham High School, where he began a relationship with Maye Haldeman, whom he married in 1970.{{rp|44}} The family lived in Pretoria, where Maye worked as a dietitian and a model. Their first child, Elon Reeve Musk, was born on 28 June 1971, named after Maye's grandfather J. Elon Haldeman, with Reeve being her maternal grandmother's maiden name.{{Cite news |last=Holson |first=Laura M. |date=April 30, 2016 |title=At 68, Maye Musk, the Mother of Elon, Is Reclaiming the Spotlight |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/01/fashion/elon-musk-mother-maye-musk-model-met-gala.html |url-status=live |access-date=July 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200628120358/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/01/fashion/elon-musk-mother-maye-musk-model-met-gala.html |archive-date=June 28, 2020 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web |last1=Hull |first1=Dana |last2=May |first2=Patrick |date=April 20, 2014 |title=Exploring the otherworldly ambitions of Elon Musk |url=https://buffalonews.com/business/local/exploring-the-otherworldly-ambitions-of-elon-musk/article_2fc57479-93eb-5016-b724-016b48a4f4f3.html |url-status=live |archive-url=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 |archive-date=April 17, 2022 |access-date=July 15, 2022 |website=Buffalo News}}

On 9 March 1972, Musk was elected as an independent to represent Sunnyside on the Pretoria City Council.{{Cite news |last1=Eligon |first1=John |last2=Chutel |first2=Lynsey |date=May 5, 2022 |title=Elon Musk Left a South Africa That Was Rife With Misinformation and White Privilege |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/05/world/africa/elon-musk-south-africa.html |url-status=live |access-date=September 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221111015804/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/05/world/africa/elon-musk-south-africa.html |archive-date=November 11, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite book |last=Vlismas |first=Michael |title=Elon Musk: Risking it All |publisher=Jonathan Ball Publishers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JsduEAAAQBAJ |year=2022 |isbn=978-1776191857}}{{rp|52}}"Reaction against the Establishment." (Mar 9, 1972) Pretoria News, cited in Isaacson{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HjyvEAAAQBAJ|title=Elon Musk|first=Walter|last=Isaacson|date=September 12, 2023|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-1-3985-2751-5 |via=Google Books}} In 1980{{cite thesis |last=Shandler |first=David |title=Structural Crisis and Liberalism: A History of the Progressive Federal Party, 1981–1989 |degree=MA |publisher=University of Cape Town |year=1991 |url=https://open.uct.ac.za/server/api/core/bitstreams/468b41fd-f49b-4128-8a24-b931131fe1b9/content}}{{rp|71}} he became a member of the Progressive Federal Party, the new official opposition formed in 1977, and ran as their Sunnyside nominee in the 1981 election.{{rp|52}}{{Cite thesis |last=Sussman |first=Gary |title=The referendum in F.W. de Klerk's war of manoeuvre: An historical institutionalist account of the 1992 referendum |date=2003 |degree=PhD |publisher=London School of Economics |url=http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/2776/1/U615725.pdf}}{{rp|225, fn 119}} In 1983 his resignation from the PFP over its stance towards the constitutional referendum was front-page news for the ruling National Party's organ Die Burger, which portrayed the opposition as divided.{{rp|225, fn 119}}"The reported resignation of Errol Musk, the PFP candidate for Sunnyside (Pretoria) election was made a front-page story. Die Burger. 4 October 1983" Musk rebelled against the PFP's call for rejecting the new constitution and cited his agreement with the New Republic Party's position that the Tricameral Parliament was a step in the right direction.{{rp|71–72}}

Musk studied electromechanics at the University of Pretoria, worked as an electrical and mechanical engineering consultant, and developed properties, especially retail and office property development. His lucrative engineering business took on "large projects such as office buildings, retail complexes, residential subdivisions, and an air force base." He also owned an auto parts store, at least half a share in an emerald mine, and even "one of the biggest houses in Pretoria"{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/08/24/plugged-in|title=Plugged In - The New Yorker|magazine=The New Yorker |date=October 10, 2014|access-date=June 28, 2024|archive-date=October 10, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141010001525/http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/08/24/plugged-in|url-status=bot: unknown |last1=Friend |first1=Tad }} His ex-wife Maye's book recalls that at the time of their divorce in 1979, he owned two homes, a yacht, a plane, five luxury cars, and a truck.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BDinDwAAQBAJ|title=A Woman Makes a Plan: Advice for a Lifetime of Adventure, Beauty, and Success|first=Maye|last=Musk|date=December 31, 2019|publisher=Penguin|isbn=978-1-9848-7851-9 |via=Google Books}}

In the early 1980s, Errol built a lodge in the Timbavati Game Reserve to rent to tourists.{{rp|ch. 3}}

In 1986, he acquired rights to the output of three Zambian emerald mines, though he did not own the mines themselves. In interviews with Walter Isaacson, he explained: "If you registered it, you would wind up with nothing, because the Blacks would take everything from you".{{rp|ch. 1}} He later referred to his wealth during Elon's teen years in an interview with Business Insider South Africa, saying he had "so much money we couldn't even close our safe" and mentioned his emerald dealings.{{Cite web |last=Sager |first=Jessica |date=November 7, 2022 |title=Who Is Elon Musk's Estranged Father? All About Errol Musk |url=https://people.com/human-interest/who-is-errol-musk-elon-musk-father/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221124093348/https://people.com/human-interest/who-is-errol-musk-elon-musk-father/ |archive-date=November 24, 2022 |access-date=November 28, 2022 |website=People}}{{Cite web |last=Wet |first=Phillip de |author-link=Phillip de Wet |date=February 23, 2018 |title='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 |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musks-dad-tells-bi-about-the-familys-casual-attitude-to-wealth-2018-2 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221128160121/https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musks-dad-tells-bi-about-the-familys-casual-attitude-to-wealth-2018-2 |archive-date=November 28, 2022 |access-date=November 28, 2022 |website=Business Insider}} Snopes confirmed that at some point he owned "a stake in an emerald mine near Lake Tanganyika in Zambia".{{Cite web |last=Liles |first=Jordan |date=November 17, 2022 |title=What We Know About Elon Musk and the Emerald Mine Rumor |url=https://www.snopes.com/news/2022/11/17/elon-musk-emerald-mine/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408192229/https://www.snopes.com/news/2022/11/17/elon-musk-emerald-mine/ |archive-date=April 8, 2023 |access-date=March 21, 2023 |website=Snopes |language=en}} He once described his emerald mine as an "under the table" operation.{{Cite news |last=Mahdawi |first=Arwa |date=April 25, 2023 |title=What's that going up in flames? Why, it's Elon Musk's reputation |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/apr/25/whats-that-going-up-in-flames-why-its-elon-musk-reputation |newspaper=The Guardian}}

According to the 2015 biography of Elon Musk titled Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, in 1995 Errol Musk gave US$28,000 to Elon and Kimbal as they were starting up the software company Zip2.{{cite news |last1=Hahn |first1=Jason |title=Inside the Complicated Relationship Between Elon Musk and His Estranged Father, Errol Musk |url=https://people.com/human-interest/elon-musk-errol-musk-relationship/ |access-date=September 12, 2023 |work=People |date=March 26, 2018}} Elon has denied receiving the money from his father.

In a January 2025 video interview, Errol Musk stated that governance in South Africa has deteriorated.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lnA9Aij7uw |title=Elon Musk changed after Biden snubbed him, father Errol says {{!}} Cuomo |date=2025-01-22 |last=NewsNation |access-date=2025-01-25 |via=YouTube}}

In January 2025, Errol endorsed a meme coin called "Musk It" and revealed that he planned to raise $200 million for the Musk Institute via this project.{{cite web |last1=Schwartz |first1=Leo |title=Inside Errol Musk's foray into the volatile world of memecoins |url=https://fortune.com/2025/01/31/inside-errol-musks-foray-into-the-volatile-world-of-memecoins/ |access-date=31 January 2025 |website=fortune.com |publisher=Fortune}}{{cite web |last1=Cameron |first1=Hugh |date=31 January 2025 |title=Elon Musk's Father Launches Own Meme Coin |url=https://www.newsweek.com/elon-musk-father-launches-meme-coin-cryptocurrency-2024191 |access-date=31 January 2025 |website=newsweek.com |publisher=Newsweek}}

In February 2025, Musk arranged a phone call between his son Elon and the president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, during which the two discussed the impact of Donald Trump's policies on South Africa.{{cite web |last1=Skweyiya |first1=Sisipho |last2=Roelf |first2=Wendell |title=Musk's dad says he arranged son's call with South African leader |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/musks-dad-says-he-arranged-sons-call-with-south-african-leader-2025-02-04/ |access-date=5 February 2025 |website=reuters.com |publisher=Reuters}} In April 2025 Musk praised Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, in an interview with BBC News Russian. He said, "it would be foolish not to admire Putin." He also implied Russia was not responsible for the war in Ukraine, and claimed his entire family supported Putin.{{cite web |last1=Taradiuk |first1=Yuliia |title='It would be foolish not to admire Putin' — Elon Musk's father Errol swoons over Russian President |url=https://kyivindependent.com/it-would-be-foolish-not-to-admire-putin-elon-musks-father-errol-swoons-over-russian-president/ |website=kyivindependent.com |publisher=Kyiv Independent |access-date=4 April 2025}}

In 1979, Musk and his wife Maye divorced.{{Cite magazine |last=Friend |first=Tad |author-link=Tad Friend |date=August 24, 2009 |title=Plugged In |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/08/24/plugged-in |magazine=New Yorker |pages=50–59 |volume=85 |issue=25}} In her memoir, Maye characterized her marriage as abusive and alleged Errol had been violent.{{Cite magazine |date=November 15, 2019 |title=Maye Musk on Escaping Domestic Abuse and Raising Three Geniuses (Including Elon) on Her Own |url=https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/a29663489/maye-musk-memoir-interview-2019/ |magazine=Harper's BAZAAR}} She 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. After the divorce, Musk repeatedly sued his ex-wife for custody of their children. He was briefly married to a woman named Sue.

In the early 1990s, Errol, then aged 45, married Heide Bezuidenhout, a 25-year-old he described as "one of the best-looking women I've ever seen in my life".{{Cite magazine |last=Mier |first=Tomás |date=July 14, 2022 |title=Like Father Like Son: Elon Musk's Dad Has Secret Second Kid With Stepdaughter |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/elon-musk-dad-has-secret-second-child-1383353/ |magazine=Rolling Stone}} Heidi's daughter Jana Bezuidenhout, then four, became Musk's stepdaughter,{{cite magazine |last1=Ball |first1=Molly |last2=Kluger |first2=Jeffrey |last3=De la Garza |first3=Alejandro |date=December 13, 2021 |title=Elon Musk Is TIME's 2021 Person of the Year |url=https://time.com/person-of-the-year-2021-elon-musk/ |access-date=September 9, 2023 |magazine=Time |language=en}} and later his romantic partner (and subsequently mother of two children together). Musk and Heidi also had two children of their own.{{Cite news |last=Crilly |first=Rob |author-link=Rob Crilly |date=March 25, 2018 |title=Elon Musk's father has baby with step-daughter he has known since she was four |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/03/25/elon-musks-father-has-baby-step-daughter-has-known-since-four/ |url-status=live |archive-url=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/ |archive-date=April 26, 2021 |access-date=July 15, 2022 |work=The Telegraph |issn=0307-1235}}

In March 2018, it was reported that Musk had fathered a child with his adult step-daughter Jana Bezuidenhout.{{cite web |last1=Gillespie |first1=James |date=March 25, 2018 |title=Elon Musk's 'evil' father has a baby with stepdaughter |url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/africa/article/elon-musks-evil-father-has-a-baby-with-stepdaughter-jsrgshm78 |access-date=November 4, 2024 |website=thetimes.com |publisher=The Times}} In July 2022 he gave an interview to the tabloid newspaper The Sun, announcing that he and Bezuidenhout had another child.{{Cite web |last=Sharma |first=Shweta |date=July 15, 2022 |title=Elon Musk's father confirms second child with his own stepdaughter - report |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/elon-errol-musk-children-stepdaughter-b2123744.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220715150026/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/elon-errol-musk-children-stepdaughter-b2123744.html |archive-date=July 15, 2022 |access-date=July 15, 2022 |website=The Independent}}{{Cite web |last=Biggs |first=Jade |date=July 16, 2022 |title=Elon Musk's dad reveals he fathered an "unplanned" child with his stepdaughter |url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/reports/a40621623/errol-musk-fathered-child-with-stepdaughter/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220715150205/https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/reports/a40621623/errol-musk-fathered-child-with-stepdaughter/ |archive-date=July 15, 2022 |access-date=July 15, 2022 |website=Cosmopolitan}} Musk has a total of seven children, according to People magazine in November 2022. He once commented, "The only thing we are on Earth for is to reproduce."{{cite web |last1=Olinga |first1=Luc |date=July 18, 2022 |title=Errol Musk, Elon's Dad, Prompts a New Controversy |url=https://www.thestreet.com/technology/errol-musk-the-father-of-elon-musk-causes-a-new-controversy |access-date=November 4, 2024 |website=thestreet.com |publisher=The Street}}

In 2022, Musk stated he was "not proud" of Elon.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/aug/01/elon-musk-father-interview-not-proud-errol-family|title=Elon Musk's father says he isn't proud of his son|first=Gloria|last=Oladipo|date=August 1, 2022|newspaper=The Guardian}} In 2024, he defended Elon after the latter said that the United Kingdom was heading towards a civil war.{{cite web |title=Elon Musk's father defends son over UK civil war prediction |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/elon-musk-father-defends-civil-war-comments-b2597251.html |website=independent.co.uk |publisher=The Independent |access-date=November 4, 2024}} In January 2025, he defended his son's remarks but also urged people to ignore them.{{cite web |title='Tell Him to Get Lost': Musk's Dad Urges Public to Ignore His Son |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/tell-him-to-get-lost-elon-musks-dad-errol-urges-public-to-ignore-his-son/ |website=The Daily Beast |language=en |date=January 7, 2025}}

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Category:Living people

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