Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur, inventor, and founder of companies like Tesla, SpaceX, and Neuralink, has long been a subject of public fascination due to his ambitious ventures in space exploration, sustainable energy, and artificial intelligence. Musk’s personal life, especially his relationships and children, also draw significant attention. Throughout his life, he has had multiple children with different partners, and his role as a father is of great interest to many. This essay explores the lives of Elon Musk’s children, providing insight into who they are, their relationship with their father, and how they are impacted by their famous surname.
The Musk Family Tree: An Overview
Elon Musk has fathered ten children over the years. His children come from various relationships, including his first marriage to Justine Musk, his second marriage to Talulah Riley, and his more recent partnership with the Canadian musician Grimes (Claire Boucher). Musk’s children are, as one might imagine, often in the public eye, and the unconventional nature of his personal life adds to the intrigue surrounding them.
1. Nevada Alexander Musk
Nevada Alexander Musk was Elon Musk’s first child, born in 2002 to Elon and his first wife, Justine Musk (née Wilson). Tragically, Nevada’s life was short-lived. He passed away at just 10 weeks old due to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), a devastating loss for the couple. The death of Nevada had a profound impact on both Elon and Justine. Elon Musk has spoken about how the loss deeply affected him and was one of the hardest experiences of his life.
Although Nevada never had the chance to grow up, his memory remains an important part of Elon Musk’s life. The grief surrounding Nevada’s passing reportedly led Elon and Justine to have a deeper connection for a time, though they later separated. Musk has not often spoken publicly about Nevada, but the child’s memory seems to remain with him.
2. Griffin Musk
Griffin Musk is Elon Musk’s first surviving child, born in 2004. Griffin was born along with his twin brother, Xavier, making him one of Musk’s five children with Justine Musk. Griffin’s life growing up was marked by the high-profile nature of his father’s career and the family’s status as one of the wealthiest in the world. However, Griffin, along with his siblings, has largely stayed out of the public eye in comparison to their father.
Elon Musk has, however, shared some details about his children’s academic success. Griffin and his brother Xavier attended Ad Astra, a private school founded by Elon Musk. The school was designed to offer a more innovative educational experience, with a focus on science, technology, and problem-solving. According to Musk, the school was an experiment in rethinking traditional education, something that Musk himself had struggled with during his own school years.
3. Xavier Musk
Xavier Musk, born in 2004, is Griffin’s twin. Like his brother, Xavier has remained relatively private, but his life has been impacted by the media attention surrounding his father’s high-profile career. Xavier Musk has also followed a somewhat unconventional path in education. At one point, Xavier and Griffin were enrolled in Ad Astra, the experimental school that Musk established. The twins were reportedly very talented in the subjects the school focused on, including robotics and artificial intelligence.
In 2022, Xavier made headlines when, at the age of 18, he filed a petition in California to legally change his gender and name. He chose the name “Vivian Jenna Wilson,” signaling a desire to distance himself from his father’s high-profile name. This move garnered significant media attention and signaled a personal and identity-driven transformation for Xavier. Musk has stated that he respects his children’s autonomy and choices, and although the relationship with his children may not be publicly discussed in detail, this moment was a significant one in their lives.
4. Kai Musk
Kai Musk, born in 2006, is another child of Elon and Justine Musk. Like his siblings, Kai has largely remained out of the media spotlight, and details about his life are scarce. However, he, along with his brothers and sister, was raised in a highly privileged environment due to the immense wealth generated by Elon Musk’s ventures. The Musk children’s lives have been marked by their father’s significant influence on technology and innovation, but they have also experienced the challenges of growing up under constant public scrutiny.
Kai and his siblings have been seen accompanying their father to public events, though they generally prefer to stay away from the media. It’s worth noting that Elon Musk, despite his fame, has often spoken about the challenges of parenting in the public eye and has emphasized his desire to give his children a normal upbringing, away from the glare of cameras.
5. Saxon Musk
Saxon Musk, another child born to Elon Musk and Justine Musk, is also part of the family’s cohort of five children. Saxon, born in 2006, shares a close relationship with his siblings. As with the other children from Musk’s first marriage, Saxon has maintained a low profile in public life. While Elon Musk has occasionally posted about his children on social media, Saxon and his siblings seem to prefer privacy, and as a result, very little is known about their personal lives.
Musk has expressed his concern about the dangers of growing up in the public eye, and he has attempted to shield his children from the excesses of fame. As one of his earlier children, Saxon’s upbringing was undoubtedly shaped by Musk’s increasing prominence in the tech world. Still, little is known about how Saxon feels about the nature of his father’s work or how he experiences being a child of such a famous figure.
6. Damian Musk
Damian Musk, born in 2008, is another member of the Musk family. Like his siblings, Damian has grown up in the shadow of Elon Musk’s immense wealth and influence, but details about his life are largely kept private. It’s worth noting that Elon Musk has spoken about his desire to keep his children’s lives as normal as possible. For the Musk children, growing up in the world of Silicon Valley and international media attention is no small feat.
Although Damian’s life is largely a mystery to the public, Musk has mentioned in interviews that he is close to all of his children. He has praised their intelligence and curiosity, particularly their interest in technology and science. This admiration for their potential as future innovators reflects Musk’s own belief in the transformative power of knowledge.
7. Vivian Musk (formerly Xavier Musk)
Vivian Musk, born as Xavier Musk in 2004, made waves in 2022 when she petitioned for a legal name change and gender transition. Vivian’s decision to legally change her name and gender to “Vivian Jenna Wilson” was a personal and profound move, signaling a departure from her father’s public persona. This event raised important discussions about identity and family dynamics in the context of celebrity and wealth.
Vivian’s decision to change her name was, in many ways, an act of asserting independence and carving out a life that was not defined by her father’s fame. Musk has stated that he respects his children’s choices and that his primary role is to support them, even if they choose paths that differ from his own.
8. X AE A-12 Musk (later renamed X AE Musk)
X AE A-12 Musk, born in May 2020, is perhaps the most famous of Elon Musk’s children, owing to the unconventional name that Elon and his partner Grimes chose for him. The name “X AE A-12” sparked considerable debate and media attention, with many people wondering how to pronounce it or what it meant. The name has several components: “X” stands for “the unknown variable,” “AE” is a character in several languages, and “A-12” refers to the Archangel 12, a plane used by the CIA. Later, in accordance with California state law, the name was changed to “X AE Musk.”
X AE is often seen with his parents in public, especially at events related to Musk’s companies, but like the other Musk children, he remains relatively private despite his famous parents. Grimes, his mother, has shared some insights into his personality, noting that he is incredibly curious and intelligent for his age. However, as a toddler, X AE is still in the early stages of his life, and it remains to be seen how he will navigate the world as the child of two extremely famous figures.
9. Exa Dark Sideræl Musk (Y)
Exa Dark Sideræl Musk, born in December 2021, is the second child of Elon Musk and Grimes. The couple’s second child received a similarly unique name: “Exa” refers to the exaFLOP, a unit of computing performance, and “Dark” represents the unknown. “Sideræl” refers to a time measurement system used in astronomy. Grimes later explained that the name “Y” was a nickname for their daughter, as she was often referred to as “Y” by her parents.
Grimes and Elon Musk have been relatively private about their children’s lives, but the birth of Exa Dark Sideræl marked a significant milestone for the couple. Exa, like X AE A-12, is expected to grow up with access to immense resources and the legacy of her father’s companies. However, both parents have indicated that they will try to give their children as normal an upbringing as possible, despite their own fame and success.
10. Twins with Shivon Zilis (2021)
In 2021, it was revealed that Elon Musk had fathered twins with Shivon Zilis, a top executive at Neuralink, his brain-machine interface company. The twins, whose names were not made public at the time of writing, add another layer of complexity to Musk’s family tree. Zilis is a longtime associate of Musk’s, and their professional relationship has led to speculation about the nature of their personal one.
The birth of these twins was confirmed in 2022, but little is known about them. However, this revelation added to the growing list of Musk’s children and highlighted his unconventional approach to relationships and family life.
Conclusion
Elon Musk’s children are, in many ways, a product of their father’s extraordinary life. Raised in an environment of immense wealth, intellectual curiosity, and global influence, they are both shielded from and subject to the scrutiny that comes with their father’s fame. While some have chosen to live under the radar, others have made personal decisions that are at odds with their father’s public image, such as Vivian’s name and gender change. Regardless of how they choose to navigate their lives, Musk’s children will forever be intertwined with the legacy of their father’s groundbreaking work in technology and innovation.
As Elon Musk continues to shape the future of space exploration, sustainable energy, and artificial intelligence, the lives of his children will be closely watched, both for their own accomplishments and how they navigate the extraordinary circumstances of being raised by one of the most famous entrepreneurs of the 21st century. Whether they follow in their father’s footsteps or carve out their own paths, the Musk children represent the next generation of thinkers, creators, and innovators who will undoubtedly have an impact on the world in their own right.