Elon Musk, the trailblazing Tesla CEO, is not just a tech mogul, but also a dad extraordinaire, boasting a whopping 11 children from his sweet adventures in love and life. Known for raising concerns about the ‘under-population crisis’, he’s clearly not wasted any time procreating.
The billionaire businessman, with quite a reputation for having multiple romantic partners, has in a span of two decades introduced us to a stellar squad of mini-Musks. The first was born in 2002 and the most recent, Techno Mechanicus, is already making headlines, emerging from the pages of Walter Isaacson’s biography!
Dubbed affectionately as ‘Tau’, this enigmatic child remained a secret until the pages of American writer Walter Isaacson’s newest biography about Elon Musk unveiled the billionaire’s on-again, off-again partner Grimes as the “mother of three of Musk’s children.” As this revelation stirs up curiosity about Elon Musk’s children, his myriad romances and family dynamics, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to take you through Elon’s solid progeny and the incredible women who helped him become a dad who will, undoubtedly, go down in history.
Meet Musk’s 11 children in chronological order
First, let’s take a look at the mothers of his children
Justine Wilson: His first star wife
Canadian author Justine Wilson was Elon’s first wife and inaugural partner in the journey to parenthood. Their marriage, which lasted from 2000 to 2008, led to Musk’s first six children. Wilson humorously referred to herself as a ‘starter wife’ in a candid Marie Claire essay.
Grimes: His songstress partner
Canadian singer and songwriter Grimes, a former romantic partner, shares three children with Elon Musk. The duo has had a very on-and-off relationship and has parented three children – X Æ A-Xii in May 2020, followed by Exa Dark Sideræl and Techno Mechanicus (Tau), the latest addition to their stellar family.
Shivon Zilis: His Neuralink romance
Elon’s professional world collided with his personal life when he welcomed a set of twins with his company Neuralink’s top executive Shivon Zilis in November 2021, nestled neatly between his sporadic love endeavours with Grimes.
That’s not all.
In between these years, the Tesla CEO also married and divorced actress Talulah Riley twice — the first lasting from 2010 to 2012, and the second from 2013 to 2016. However, the two never had children together (unless there’s another biography in the making that confirms otherwise).
Now, let’s meet Elon Musk’s 11 children
Nevada Alexander
Nevada was the first of Elon Musk’s offspring, born in 2002 to his first wife Justine Wilson. Tragically, their parental bliss took a grim turn when, at just 10 weeks old, Nevada lost his life due to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Griffin Musk
Following the heart-wrenching loss of their firstborn, Elon and Justine turned to IVF, a path that led to the joyful arrival of their twins Griffin and Vivian, born in April 2004. The twins are now 19 with Griffin being Musk’s eldest son.
Vivian Jenna Wilson
Vivian, born alongside her twin brother Griffin in 2004, has undergone a remarkable journey herself. In 2022, at the age of 18, she initiated the legal process of changing her name and gender, seeking recognition for her identity as a woman. She also requested a new birth certificate, bearing her mother’s surname, symbolising her desire to distance herself from her father’s name.
In her heartfelt petition, Vivian explained, “My decision is driven by my gender identity and my desire to sever all ties with my biological father, embracing a future devoid of any connection in any form.”
Kai, Saxon and Damian Musk
Two years after Griffin and Vivian’s arrival, Elon and Justine’s cosmic family expanded once more with the birth of triplet sons: Kai, Saxon and Damian, born in January 2006. Musk’s three sons recently celebrated their 17th birthday.
Though Elon and Justine have chosen to keep their journey with the triplets relatively private, Justine confirmed that they were conceived through IVF during a 2017 TedTalk.
Elon and Justine parted ways in 2008 and share custody of their five children. In a 2010 op-ed for Business Insider, Elon disclosed that he contributed USD 20,000 a month in child support, in addition to covering living expenses and the salaries of the children’s nannies, emphasising that his children were the heart of his life.
X Æ A-Xii (originally X Æ A-12)
Elon Musk and his former girlfriend Grimes welcomed their first child together on May 4, 2020. Their son was initially called X Æ A-12, but his name was later changed to X Æ A-Xii.
•X, the unknown variable ⚔️
•Æ, my elven spelling of Ai (love &/or Artificial intelligence)
•A-12 = precursor to SR-17 (our favorite aircraft). No weapons, no defenses, just speed. Great in battle, but non-violent 🤍
+
(A=Archangel, my favorite song)
(⚔️🐁 metal rat)— Grimes (@Grimezsz) May 6, 2020
Grimes revealed her pregnancy on social media in January 2020 and later made a post on Twitter to decode their son’s distinctive name.
Azure and Strider
When Musk was in an on-and-off relationship with Grimes, he seemed to have had a little office romance with Neuralink’s Director of Operations and Special Projects Shivon Zilis. The two welcomed twin sons Azure and Strider in November 2021. Interestingly, Grimes welcomed a daughter via surrogate around the same time.
Exa Dark Sideræl Musk
Just a month after welcoming a set of twins with Shivon Zilis, in December 2021 Musk and Grimes welcomed their daughter, Exa Dark Sideræl Musk, born via surrogate. The parents lovingly nicknamed the child ‘Y’ in honour of her brother having been monikered ‘X.’
Techno Mechanicus (aka Tau)
Techno Mechanicus, affectionately known as Tau, is the latest addition to Elon’s cosmic crew. Revealed to the universe through Walter Isaacson’s biography, Tau joined the ranks as Elon’s 11th child.
Well, considering how vocal Elon Musk has been about his unique perspective on underpopulation (which also explains his large number of offspring), we won’t be surprised to see a couple more children added to his extraordinary list of Muskeeters.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– How many children does Elon Musk have?
Elon Musk has a total of 11 children.
– Who is Elon Musk’s eldest child?
19-year-old twins Vivian Jenna and Griffin Musk are Elon Musk’s oldest children.
– Who is Elon Musk’s daughter?
Elon Musk has two daughters – Vivian Jenna Wilson and Exa Dark Sideræl Musk, born to different mothers.
Who is Elon Musk’s youngest child?
– Elon Musk’s youngest child is Techno Mechanicus, affectionately known as Tau, born in 2023.
(Main and feature image courtesy: Instagram/Amber Heard and Twitter/Elon Musk)
This article was first published in Augustman Malaysia.
