Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, is known for his ambitions and unconventional approaches. His personal life, particularly his family, has also garnered considerable attention. Musk has at least eleven known children with three different women.
His first marriage was to Justine Wilson, a Canadian author. Together, they had their first son, Nevada Alexander Musk, in 2002. Sadly, Nevada passed away at just 10 weeks old due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). This tragic loss profoundly impacted Musk and Wilson. They subsequently used in vitro fertilization (IVF) to conceive twins, Griffin and Xavier, born in 2004. Later, in 2006, they had triplets: Damian, Saxon, and Kai, also conceived through IVF. Xavier has since legally changed her name to Vivian Jenna Wilson and has disavowed any relationship with her father, citing a desire to no longer be related to him in any way.
Musk’s relationship with Justine Wilson ended in 2008. He then began a relationship with actress Talulah Riley, marrying her twice and divorcing her twice. They did not have any children together.
In 2018, Musk began a relationship with Canadian musician Claire Boucher, known professionally as Grimes. Their first child, a son, was born in May 2020. They named him X Æ A-Xii, later modified to X Æ A-12 due to California regulations. The name sparked considerable interest and confusion, with Musk and Grimes offering different explanations. In December 2021, they welcomed a daughter, Exa Dark Sideræl Musk, via surrogate. She is often referred to as “Y”.
In July 2022, news broke that Musk had secretly fathered twins with Shivon Zilis, a top executive at his neurotechnology company, Neuralink. The twins were born in November 2021, just weeks before Exa Dark Sideræl Musk was born. Court documents revealed Musk and Zilis petitioned to change the twins’ names to include both their last names as part of the children’s middle names.
Musk has spoken publicly about his belief in the importance of having children, emphasizing concerns about declining birth rates. He has also mentioned his intention to be a present father, despite his demanding career. However, the details of his involvement in his children’s lives remain largely private, with glimpses offered through occasional social media posts and public statements.
The details surrounding Elon Musk’s children are complex and occasionally controversial. The public fascination stems not only from his prominent status but also from the unconventional nature of his family structure and the unique names given to his younger children. While the specifics of his relationships with each of his children are not widely known, their existence highlights Musk’s personal commitment to procreation in the face of global demographic trends.