Elon Musk, a technology and space industry billionaire with a global impact, also leads a fascinating personal life, particularly regarding his family. With a net worth in the billions, there's much public interest in Elon Musk's children and relationship history, with many curious about his ex-wives and partners.
Musk's relationships are always reported in both tabloids and major news organizations. One relationship gave Musk twins and triplets, while another controversial relationship involved him in a case people watched worldwide. Here, we'll explore his net worth, children, and relationship history.
Who Is Elon Musk Dating: Amber Heard, Jeniffer Gwynne and More
The Tesla CEO's first marriage came in 2000 with Justine Wilson (now Justine Musk). They welcomed six children together before parting ways in 2008. Following his divorce, Musk found love again with English actress Talulah Riley. However, their relationship wasn't without its twists, as the couple married in 2010, divorced in 2012, then remarried in 2013, only to finalise their second divorce in 2016.
There have been reports that the couple's settlements totaled over $20 million across the two splits, but the exact details remain private. He was linked to actress Amber Heard in 2016 and 2017, though their relationship was relatively brief.
In 2018, Musk sparks a romance with musician Grimes (Claire Boucher). Their relationship garnered significant attention, and they welcomed three children together: X Æ A-Xii (born in 2020), Exa Dark Sideræl (born in 2021 via surrogate), and Techno Mechane Musk (or Tau, born in late 2021 or early 2022). However, Musk and Grimes went their separate ways in late 2021 or early 2022. Here's a closer look at all the women Musk had a relationship with:
1. Jennifer Gwynne
Musk met Jennifer Gwynne at the University of Pennsylvania in the mid-1990s. They dated for about a year, meeting each other's families before breaking up after Gwynne returned from studying abroad. In 2022, Gwynne auctioned items from their relationship to help pay for her stepson's college tuition, recalling their time together as "amazing."
2. Justine Musk
Musk met Justine Musk (née Wilson) at Queen's University in Ontario, Canada. They dated despite Musk transferring schools and Justine moving to Japan. They reconnected, married in 2000, and had six children, losing their first, Nevada, to SIDS in 2002. Despite a luxurious lifestyle, tensions arose due to Musk's dominant personality.
A car accident led to counseling, but Musk gave Justine an ultimatum, resulting in their 2008 divorce. They share custody of their children, and Justine received spousal and child support, according to a report by Business Insider.
3. Talulah Riley
Fresh off his divorce from Justine, Elon Musk met actress Talulah Riley in a London bar, according to Business Insider. In a twist, Riley wouldn't recognise him at first. "I remember thinking that this guy probably didn't get to talk to young actresses a lot and that he seemed quite nervous," she told biographer Ashlee Vance.
"I decided to be really nice to him and give him a nice evening. Little did I know that he'd spoken to a lot of pretty girls in his life." They married in 2010, divorced twice (once withdrawn), and then remarried! Despite an unconventional path, they remain friendly. Riley recently wed actor Thomas Brodie-Sangster in June 2024.
4. Amber Heard
After splitting with Talulah Riley, Musk struck out asking out Amber Heard in 2012. Years later, their paths crossed again at the 2016 Met Gala. Despite Heard claiming they weren't acquainted, a whirlwind romance followed.
They went Instagram official in 2017, but busy schedules and distance caused an initial split in August. Public displays of affection and cryptic messages hinted at a possible reconciliation, but February 2018 marked their final goodbye. Though short-lived, Heard later described their connection as based on shared interests and intellectual curiosity.
5. Grimes
In April 2018, Musk sparked dating rumours with musician Grimes after a flirty Twitter exchange. They debuted their romance at the Met Gala just days later. Despite social media drama and sightings with his kids, they welcomed son X Æ A-12 in May 2020. Grimes shouldered most parenting duties initially.
Their on-again, off-again relationship continued with a surprise "semi-separation" in 2021, followed by the birth of their daughter, Exa Dark Sideræl, via surrogate. Grimes called Musk her "best friend" and the "love of her life" despite their unconventional living situation.
However, their status kept changing, with Grimes tweeting a final split in 2022 but acknowledging their deep bond. A year later, news broke of their third child, Techno Mechanicus.
6. Shivon Zilis
In July 2022, news broke that Musk had fathered twins with Shivon Zilis, an executive at his company Neuralink. The babies, named Strider and Azure, were born in November 2021. While details surrounding the conception remained private, Texas court documents revealed the parents' request for the infants to have Musk's last name and Zilis's last name incorporated into their middle names.
How Many Children Does Elon Musk Have?
The 52-year-old business magnate Elon Musk isn't just known for his innovative companies; He's also the father of twelve children with three different partners. His children range from vibrant toddlers to young adults on the cusp of adulthood (2 to 21 years old). Here are his kids so far:
With Justine Wilson (6 children)
- First child passed away due to SIDS
- Twins: Griffin Musk & Vivian Jenna Wilson (born 2004)
- Triplets: Damian, Saxon, & Kai Musk (born 2006)
With Grimes (3 children)
- X Æ A-Xii (son, May 2020)
- Exa Dark Sideræl Musk (daughter, Dec. 2021)
- Techno Mechanicus Musk (son, late 2021/early 2022)
With Shivon Zilis (3 children)
- Twins: Strider and Azure Musk (Nov. 2021)
- Name not released (2024)
Businesses Owned By Elon Musk
Musk is indeed one of the world's most influential and richest people. Musk's immense wealth, which ranks him among the richest individuals in the world, not only underscores his success as a visionary entrepreneur but also empowers him to pursue ambitious projects that push the boundaries of technology and space exploration, all while managing the complexities of raising his 12 children. Here's a breakdown of the businesses he is involved in:
1. Tesla: Musk is the CEO and Product Architect at Tesla, a pioneer in electric vehicles and sustainable energy solutions. As of August 2023, Tesla's market capitalization was around $770.2 billion, according to Madison Trust.
2. SpaceX: Musk is the CEO and Chief Engineer and leads this company with the ambitious goal of colonising Mars and making humanity a multi-planetary species. A December 2023 tender offer suggests a valuation of nearly $180 billion.
3. X Corp (formerly Twitter): Musk acquired Twitter in 2022 and is now the owner, Executive Chairman and CTO. Publicly available information on X Corp's net worth is limited because it's a subsidiary of X Holdings Corp., which is private.
Musk's entrepreneurial spirit doesn't stop there. He's the founder of several other ventures, including:
4. Neuralink: A Musk-led neurotechnology company developing brain-computer interfaces. Neuralink isn't publicly traded on the stock market, so its financial information isn't readily available.
5. The Boring Company: an infrastructure and tunnel construction services company. One operational project of The Boring Company is the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) Loop. This underground tunnel system shuttles visitors around the vast convention center complex in Tesla vehicles. It opened in October 2021 and is considered the first commercially operating Loop system by The Boring Company.
6. xAI: an artificial intelligence research company (though only a little is publicly known about this venture).
So, with all these businesses under his belt, you might be wondering: how rich is this guy, anyway? As of July 2024, Elon Musk's net worth is estimated to be a staggering $221.4 billion, solidifying his position as the number one billionaire on the Forbes Real-Time Billionaire list.
While Elon Musk owns a significant portion of Tesla, roughly 12 percent excluding stock options, a substantial chunk of these shares are used as collateral for personal loans, reportedly reaching $3.5 billion. This means lenders can seize these shares if the loans aren't repaid.
A Delaware judge earlier in 2024 voided a 2018 agreement that awarded Musk options for an additional 9 percent of Tesla. Although shareholders recently approved his compensation package, Forbes has chosen to discount the value of these options by 50 percent until the outcome of any potential appeal by Musk.
SpaceX, Musk's astronautics company has seen its valuation soar. A December 2023 tender offer valuing the company at up to $750 million has contributed to a fivefold increase in SpaceX's stock value over the past four years.
Musk acquired Twitter in 2022 for $44 billion, though he initially attempted to back out of the deal. The platform is now known as X, and Musk holds an estimated 74 percent ownership stake.
However, Forbes has estimated the value of this stake to be nearly 70 percent lower than his initial purchase price in 2022. This estimation is based on investor Fidelity's December 2023 valuation of X.
