Vivian Wilson

Wilson was born on April 15, 2004, in Los Angeles, California,{{Cite web |last=Blackwood |first=Emily |date=March 22, 2025 |title=All About Elon Musk's Daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson |url=https://people.com/all-about-elon-musk-daughter-vivian-jenna-wilson-11701548 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250413171210/https://people.com/all-about-elon-musk-daughter-vivian-jenna-wilson-11701548 |archive-date=April 13, 2025 |access-date=June 3, 2025 |website=People |language=en}} to South African–born businessman Elon Musk and his first wife, Canadian author Justine Musk ({{nee|Wilson}}).{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxA0LESuUDE&t=23s |title=Visionaries are People Who Can See In The Dark |date=June 1, 2017 |last=Musk |first=Justine |author-link=Justine Musk |publisher=TEDx |time=00:23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115114049/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxA0LESuUDE&t=23s |archive-date=November 15, 2019 |url-status=live |via=YouTube}} She was conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF); her father reportedly used sex-selective IVF to ensure she would be a boy.{{Cite web |last=Factora |first=James |date=March 10, 2025 |title=Vivian Jenna Wilson, Elon Musk's Estranged Trans Daughter, Says Her Assigned Sex at Birth Was "Bought and Paid For" |url=https://www.them.us/story/vivian-jenna-wilson-elon-musk-sex-selective-ivf-grimes-blue-sky-implied |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250321215243/https://www.them.us/story/vivian-jenna-wilson-elon-musk-sex-selective-ivf-grimes-blue-sky-implied |archive-date=March 21, 2025 |access-date=March 22, 2025 |website=Them |language=en-US}} Wilson stated that her father was often absent, "cold", "quick to anger", "uncaring", and "narcissistic." Additionally, he often harassed her for displaying "femininity and queerness".{{Cite news |last=Mahdawi |first=Arwa |date=July 27, 2024 |title=Elon Musk's 20-year-old estranged daughter responded to his rant about her |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jul/27/elon-musk-estranged-daughter-anti-trans-rant |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240803145205/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jul/27/elon-musk-estranged-daughter-anti-trans-rant |archive-date=August 3, 2024 |access-date=July 27, 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en |issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite news |last=Ortiz |first=Aimee |date=July 26, 2024 |title=Elon Musk's Transgender Daughter Says He Was 'Cruel' and 'Uncaring' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/26/business/media/elon-musk-daughter-interview-nbc.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240727210909/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/26/business/media/elon-musk-daughter-interview-nbc.html |archive-date=July 27, 2024 |access-date=July 27, 2024 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} Musk, separately, shared anecdotes of her as a child, stating that Wilson was "born gay and slightly autistic" and used to "pick out clothes for me to wear like a jacket and tell me it was 'fabulous!{{' "}}{{Cite web |last=Duffy |first=Clare |date=2024-07-25 |title=Elon Musk’s estranged daughter calls out his 'entirely fake' claims about her childhood {{!}} CNN Business |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/25/tech/elon-musk-daughter-vivian-jenna-wilson-criticizes-posts/index.html |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=CNN |language=en}} Wilson rejects her father's anecdotes, describing them as an attempt to characterize her as a camp gay man.{{Cite web |last=Klee |first=Miles |date=2024-07-25 |title=Elon Musk's Daughter Fires Back After He Says She Was 'Killed' By 'Woke Mind Virus' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/elon-musk-daughter-vivan-wilson-response-1235067148/ |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}} Wilson's parents divorced in 2008, and agreed to share custody of her and her other siblings.{{Cite web |last=Musk |first=Justine |author-link=Justine Musk |date=September 10, 2010 |title="I Was a Starter Wife": Inside America's Messiest Divorce |url=https://www.marieclaire.com/sex-love/a5380/millionaire-starter-wife/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200730172806/https://www.marieclaire.com/sex-love/a5380/millionaire-starter-wife/ |archive-date=July 30, 2020 |access-date=July 27, 2024 |website=Marie Claire |language=en}} She attended the Crossroads School in Santa Monica.{{Cite book |last=Cooke |first=Richard |author-link= |title=Dark Star: The Political Turning of Elon Musk |publisher=Schwartz Books Pty. Limited |year=2024 |isbn=9781743823392}}{{Cite web |last=Wanjala |first=Lilian |date=August 29, 2024 |title=The story of Elon Musk's transgender daughter, Vivian Wilson |url=https://www.tuko.co.ke/facts-lifehacks/celebrity-biographies/558625-the-story-elon-musks-transgender-daughter-vivian-wilson/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250505081204/https://www.tuko.co.ke/facts-lifehacks/celebrity-biographies/558625-the-story-elon-musks-transgender-daughter-vivian-wilson/ |archive-date=May 5, 2025 |access-date=April 2, 2025 |website=Tuko.co.ke}}

Wilson came out as transgender via a publicly posted Instagram story in 2020. In an interview with Teen Vogue in 2025, she expressed regret for not telling her mother first. Reportedly, her mother was very supportive of her transition and was not surprised when Wilson came out. Her father was not as supportive, and according to Wilson, she had not spoken to him in months, but required his permission for her to begin testosterone blockers and hormone therapy.{{Cite web |last=Yurman |first=Ella |date=March 20, 2025 |title=Vivian Wilson on Being Elon Musk's Estranged Daughter, Going Viral, and Protecting Trans Youth |url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/vivian-jenna-wilson-elon-musk-trans-youth |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250505163505/https://www.teenvogue.com/story/vivian-jenna-wilson-elon-musk-trans-youth |archive-date=May 5, 2025 |access-date=March 22, 2025 |website=Teen Vogue |language=en-US}} Wilson began her treatment for gender dysphoria in 2020, which she states her father did not initially support. However, she was already distancing herself from him at this time.

In June 2022, at the age of 18, a California judge approved her request to change her legal name (taking her mother's maiden name) and gender on her birth certificate{{Cite web |date=June 23, 2022 |title=Elon Musk's daughter granted legal name, gender change |url=https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-entertainment-gender-identity-santa-monica-eb64ed75c5e8228ca3cae8e1d836e93d |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220626091711/https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-entertainment-gender-identity-santa-monica-eb64ed75c5e8228ca3cae8e1d836e93d |archive-date=June 26, 2022 |access-date=July 27, 2024 |website=AP News |language=en-US}} after she applied in the Los Angeles County Superior Court.{{Cite news |date=June 21, 2022 |title=Elon Musk: Billionaire's daughter cuts ties with her father |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-61880709 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240727012936/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-61880709 |archive-date=July 27, 2024 |access-date=July 27, 2024 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}} In the petition for the changes, Wilson stated she no longer wished to be related to Musk "in any way, shape, or form".{{Cite web |title=Elon Musk's Child Says She Doesn't 'Wish to Be Related' to Billionaire in Petition to Change Name and Gender |url=https://people.com/human-interest/elon-musk-child-vivian-files-petition-to-change-name-and-gender/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240629044223/https://people.com/human-interest/elon-musk-child-vivian-files-petition-to-change-name-and-gender/ |archive-date=June 29, 2024 |access-date=July 27, 2024 |website=People |language=en-US}}

File:Vivian Jenna Wilson - March 2025.jpg" personality.]]

In 2025, Wilson was featured on the cover of Teen Vogue.{{Cite web |last=Sharma |first=Versha |date=March 20, 2025 |title=Introducing Vivian Wilson: A Letter From Teen Vogue{{'}}s Editor-in-Chief |url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/introducing-vivian-wilson-a-letter-from-teen-vogues-editor-in-chief |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250502200106/https://www.teenvogue.com/story/introducing-vivian-wilson-a-letter-from-teen-vogues-editor-in-chief |archive-date=May 2, 2025 |access-date=March 23, 2025 |website=Teen Vogue |publisher= |language=en-US}}Teen Vogue described Wilson as "extremely online", and "really good at it": she is outspoken about transgender issues, which she has noted she feels "obligated to talk about", and has described the state of American politics in 2025 as "terrifying". Wilson has spoken at length about her political views, describing herself as a leftist while rejecting characterization as a Marxist. She has expressed support for universal basic income, free healthcare, reducing wealth inequality, and food, water, and shelter as human rights. When asked if her upbringing influenced her politics, she said "Seeing that kind of wealth{{snd}}{{em|extravagant}} wealth{{snd}}firsthand, while living in Los Angeles and seeing the [huge] homelessness problem, the wealth gap{{nbsp}}... You start to wonder, how is this fair?"

Wilson has been vocally critical of Musk's actions and supportive of transgender rights.{{Cite web |last=Lubin |first=Rhian |date=January 24, 2025 |title=Elon Musk's daughter gives fiery response to 'Nazi salute' accusations |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/elon-musk-daughter-vivian-wilson-nazi-salute-b2686773.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250206070813/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/elon-musk-daughter-vivian-wilson-nazi-salute-b2686773.html |archive-date=February 6, 2025 |access-date=February 15, 2025 |website=The Independent |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |last=Burman |first=Theo |date=February 14, 2025 |title=Elon Musk's Trans Daughter Blasts Stonewall Website Changes |url=https://www.newsweek.com/elon-musk-transgender-daughter-stonewall-website-2031346 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250217165116/https://www.newsweek.com/elon-musk-transgender-daughter-stonewall-website-2031346 |archive-date=February 17, 2025 |access-date=February 15, 2025 |website=Newsweek |language=en-US}} Following the result of the 2024 United States presidential election, Wilson voiced her intention to emigrate from the United States in the future.{{Cite news |last=Linder |first=Brian |date=November 7, 2024 |title=Elon Musk has cold response to his daughter's reaction to Trump win |url=https://www.pennlive.com/news/2024/11/elon-musks-has-cold-response-to-his-daughters-reaction-to-trump-win.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241109021140/https://www.pennlive.com/news/2024/11/elon-musks-has-cold-response-to-his-daughters-reaction-to-trump-win.html |archive-date=November 9, 2024 |access-date=November 8, 2024 |work=The Patriot News |language=en}} After Musk's controversial gesture at Donald Trump's inauguration that has been described as a Nazi salute, she proclaimed "let's call a spade a fucking spade".{{Cite web |last=Billson |first=Chantelle |date=January 22, 2025 |title=Musk's trans daughter responds to 'Nazi salute': 'Let's call a spade a spade' |url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/01/22/vivian-jenna-wilson/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250210042603/https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/01/22/vivian-jenna-wilson/ |archive-date=February 10, 2025 |access-date=February 16, 2025 |website=PinkNews |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Adamczeski |first=Ryan |date=January 22, 2025 |title=Elon Musk's trans daughter Vivian Wilson slams Nazi salute |url=https://www.advocate.com/news/elon-musk-nazi-salute-trans-daughter-vivian-wilson |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250406151420/https://www.advocate.com/news/elon-musk-nazi-salute-trans-daughter-vivian-wilson |archive-date=April 6, 2025 |access-date=February 16, 2025 |website=The Advocate |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last1=Hoffman |first1=Benjamin |last2=Van Syckle |first2=Katie |date=March 21, 2025 |title=An Interview With Elon Musk's Daughter Was Months in the Making |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/21/style/vivian-wilson-teen-vogue-elon-musk.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250323141806/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/21/style/vivian-wilson-teen-vogue-elon-musk.html |archive-date=March 23, 2025 |access-date=March 23, 2025 |website=The New York Times |language=en-US}}

Wilson studied in Tokyo, Japan, before returning to Los Angeles for modeling in May 2025.{{cite web |last1=Wickman |first1=Kase |title=Vivian Jenna Wilson, Elon Musk’s Estranged Daughter, on Becoming an Underwear Model, Even Though She Was “Terrified” |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/style/story/vivian-jenna-wilson-elon-tomboyx-underwear-campaign |website=Vanity Fair |access-date=24 May 2025 |date=22 May 2025}} Prior to achieving prominence, Wilson had hoped to work as a translator, and had been studying French, Spanish, and Japanese to that end. Since then she has considered other possibilities, including Twitch streaming.{{Cite web |date=March 20, 2025 |title=Why Elon Musk's Daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson Moved Out of the United States to Live in Japan |url=https://www.eonline.com/news/1415047/elon-musks-daughter-vivian-wilson-moves-to-japan-leaves-united-states |access-date=March 22, 2025 |website=E! Online}} She and her mother are on good terms. Wilson has four full siblings: a twin brother, Griffin, and three younger brothers who are triplets, named Kai, Saxon, and Damian.{{Cite web |last=Sacks |first=Hannah |date=September 12, 2023 |title=Elon Musk's Son Damian, 17, Says He Became a Vegetarian at Age 8 to 'Decrease My Carbon Footprint' |url=https://people.com/elon-musks-son-damian-became-vegetarian-at-age-8-to-decrease-carbon-footprint-7968194 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240803145208/https://people.com/elon-musks-son-damian-became-vegetarian-at-age-8-to-decrease-carbon-footprint-7968194 |archive-date=August 3, 2024 |access-date=July 28, 2024 |website=People |language=en}}

Wilson has criticized the biography Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson as inaccurate and unfair to her. Her portrayal has been described as that of "an angry, rebellious child, blinded by radical anti-capitalist ideology and hurting her father with her rash decisions". The book also notably referred to her as "Jenna". Isaacson sourced his claims to Christiana Musk, the wife of Elon Musk's brother Kimbal Musk, but never contacted Wilson before printing the claims. Isaacson claims to have reached out to her through family members. Disputing this particular claim, Wilson described the book as "genuinely defamatory", saying that it deliberately avoided including any testimony by her to frame her existence as "a villain-origin backstory" for her father's rightward political shift.{{Cite news |last=Harrison Dupré |first=Maggie |date=August 12, 2024 |title=Elon Musk's Daughter Just Torched Walter Isaacson, His (and Steve Jobs's) Biographer |url=https://futurism.com/elon-musk-daughter-torched-walter-isaacson |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250505081204/https://futurism.com/elon-musk-daughter-torched-walter-isaacson |archive-date=May 5, 2025 |access-date=August 12, 2024 |work=Futurism}}{{Cite magazine |last=Dickson |first=Ej |date=August 12, 2024 |title=Elon Musk's Daughter on Dad's Biography: 'Sad Excuse for a Puff Piece' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/vivian-jenna-wilson-elon-musk-biographer-walter-isaacson-1235078112/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250405034359/https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/vivian-jenna-wilson-elon-musk-biographer-walter-isaacson-1235078112/ |archive-date=April 5, 2025 |access-date=August 12, 2024 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}} Wilson alleged that "[Isaacson] had an agenda when writing his book, which was to make Elon look good, or look more complex than he is. In order to do that, he needed to villainize the trans teenager and make it seem like there were two reasonable sides to the story".

Wilson has described her father as "a pathetic man-child", and has been financially independent from him since she first came out as transgender in 2020.{{Cite web |last=Stahl |first=Jay |title=Vivian Jenna Wilson, Elon Musk's estranged daughter, calls dad 'pathetic man-child' |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2025/03/21/elon-musk-kids-vivian-jenna-wilson-interview/82588979007/ |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Wickman |first=Kase |date=2025-03-20 |title=Vivian Wilson Talks to Teen Vogue About Elon Musk, Her “Pathetic Man-Child,” “F-cking Cringe” Dad |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/style/story/vivian-wilson-teen-vogue-elon-musk-her-pathetic-man-child-f-cking-cringe-dad?srsltid=AfmBOooB0bev5FbdlT-RUhJiHthXdY5P-F3WdXoKfHSBKEwyYytKWjQN |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=Vanity Fair |language=en-US}}

In October 2022, Musk blamed his estranged relationship with Wilson on "neo-Marxist" influences due to the unspecified "elite university" she attended.{{Cite web |last=Blanco |first=Andrea |date=October 11, 2022 |title=Elon Musk reveals bizarre reason for daughter's estrangement |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/elon-musk-daughter-vivian-children-trans-b2199979.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240406123837/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/elon-musk-daughter-vivian-children-trans-b2199979.html |archive-date=April 6, 2024 |access-date=July 27, 2024 |website=The Independent |language=en-GB}} In a July 2024 interview conducted by Jordan Peterson, Musk spoke negatively of Wilson's transition and deadnamed her. He said he was "tricked" into granting her request for gender-affirming treatment, as California law required his permission since Wilson was under 18 at the time. Musk ultimately described her as having been "killed by the woke mind virus" in conjunction with her transition. Musk has said that Wilson's gender transition is primarily what sparked his drive to "destroy the woke mind virus".{{Cite news |last=Robledo |first=Anthony |date=July 22, 2024 |title=Musk says estranged child's gender-affirming care sparked fight against 'woke mind virus' |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2024/07/22/elon-musk-jordan-peterson-interview/74506785007/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241115145512/https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2024/07/22/elon-musk-jordan-peterson-interview/74506785007/ |archive-date=November 15, 2024 |access-date=November 19, 2024 |work=USA Today |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last=Khalaf |first=Roula |author-link=Roula Khalaf |date=October 7, 2022 |title=Elon Musk: 'Aren't you entertained?' |url=https://www.ft.com/content/5ef14997-982e-4f03-8548-b5d67202623a |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221007122621/https://www.ft.com/content/5ef14997-982e-4f03-8548-b5d67202623a |archive-date=October 7, 2022 |access-date=October 7, 2022 |work=Financial Times |issn=0307-1766}} Walter Isaacson's biography of Musk argued that some of his far-right views were "partially triggered" by Wilson's gender transition.{{Cite news |last=Massie |first=Graeme |date=September 1, 2023 |title=Elon Musk became 'anti-woke' because of his daughter's gender transition, book claims |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/elon-musk-daughter-gender-transition-b2403015.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230925203212/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/elon-musk-daughter-gender-transition-b2403015.html |archive-date=September 25, 2023 |access-date=October 26, 2023 |work=The Independent |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last=McDougall |first=A. J. |date=August 31, 2023 |title=Elon Went Anti-Woke After His Daughter Transitioned, Biographer Writes |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/elon-musk-went-anti-woke-after-his-daughter-jennas-transition-biographer-writes |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230925203211/https://www.thedailybeast.com/elon-musk-went-anti-woke-after-his-daughter-jennas-transition-biographer-writes |archive-date=September 25, 2023 |access-date=October 26, 2023 |work=The Daily Beast |language=en-US}} Wilson disputes this account and has described it as "a convenient narrative."

Grimes, Musk's former partner, has defended Wilson and supported her transition. She stated that she is proud of Wilson for speaking out.{{Cite web |last=Speakman |first=Kimberlee |date=July 26, 2024 |title=Grimes, Who Shares 3 Kids with Elon Musk, Is 'Endlessly Proud' of His Daughter Vivian After She Called Him Out |url=https://people.com/grimes-is-endlessly-proud-of-elon-musk-transgender-daughter-vivian-8684444 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250214041218/https://people.com/grimes-is-endlessly-proud-of-elon-musk-transgender-daughter-vivian-8684444 |archive-date=February 14, 2025 |access-date=February 16, 2025 |website=People |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Stewart |first=Chelsea |date=August 4, 2024 |title=Here's What Grimes Had To Say After Elon Musk's Daughter Vivian Called Him An Absentee Dad |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/grimes-elon-musk-daughter-vivian_n_66ad2633e4b07dd05a202d9d |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240914152541/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/grimes-elon-musk-daughter-vivian_n_66ad2633e4b07dd05a202d9d |archive-date=September 14, 2024 |access-date=February 16, 2025 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}

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