Elon Musk’s father has been accused of sexually abusing his children and stepchildren, who have repeatedly turned to the tech mogul for help, according to a report.
Errol Musk, 79, has been accused of abusing five of his children and stepchildren in South Africa and California in allegations dating to the early 1990s, according to The New York Times.
The SpaceX CEO’s father, who has not been convicted of any crime, dismissed the allegations as “false and nonsense” in a statement to The Independent.
Relatives of Elon Musk have repeatedly contacted the Tesla CEO for support and he has sometimes interceded, according to the Times, citing personal letters, emails and interviews with family members obtained as part of the investigation.
When contacted for comment, Errol Musk provided the same answers he shared with The Times. The Independent has contacted representatives of Elon Musk for comment.
Police and court records reportedly document three separate investigations into the alleged abuse. Two of the investigations ended, but the outcome of the third probe remains unclear.
In the earliest alleged incident, Errol Musk’s stepdaughter accused him of abusing her when she was four years old in 1993.
Other relatives allege he also abused two of his daughters and a stepson, according to the outlet. One relative reportedly wrote a five-page letter to Elon Musk in 2010 detailing some of the allegations against his father and urged him to intervene.
“We really need your advice, help and guidance in these matters because we daily see these children suffer,” the relative wrote in the letter, which was reviewed by the Times.
It was not clear if Elon Musk read the letter, but one of his assistants reportedly contacted a family member afterward.
Errol Musk, who currently lives in South Africa, has been married three times and has at least nine children and stepchildren. He was described by the Times as maintaining “a powerful grip over much of the family.”
Elon Musk is his eldest child and the 54-year-old former “special government employee” is reported to have provided financial support for his stepfamily from his father’s third marriage.
Elmie Smit, the sister of Errol Musk’s third wife, told the Times that the 79-year-old has “left a massive wound” in the family.
In response to the allegations when approached by The Independent, Errol Musk said the “false” accusations made by family members were fabricated “to get money from Elon.”
In addition, Errol Musk claimed to have a good relationship with Elon Musk but added “families do sometimes fight.”
“We’re very close,” he said of his eldest son, and claimed they had spent the weekend together 18 months ago.
However, in a 2023 biography, Elon Musk told author Walter Isaacson that he does not communicate with his father.
Maye Musk, Elon Musk’s mother, and his father divorced in 1979. Elon Musk chose to live with his father in the South African capital of Pretoria between the ages of 10 to 17 and endured a troubled relationship with him, according to the authorized biography.
Elon Musk’s sister, Tosca Musk, claimed Errol Musk would sometimes lecture his children and call them “worthless, pathetic, making scarring and evil comments, not allowing you to leave.”
“His mood could change on a dime. Everything could be super, then within a second he would be vicious and spewing abuse,” Tosca Musk said in the Musk-endorsed biography.
Errol Musk has been a regular guest on news and talk shows this year as his son entered U.S. politics, leading the Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts to slash federal spending. He said that his son was “not cut out for politics” in February.
This story has been updated to include further comment from Errol Musk
