Elon Musk’s Father Accused of Child Sex Abuse by Multiple Family Members: Report

Errol Musk, the estranged father of billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, has been accused of sexually abusing five of his children and stepchildren, according to a new New York Times investigation.

The report, published on Tuesday, Sept. 23, alleges the 79-year-old businessman sexually abused the family members beginning in 1993 in South Africa, where he lives, and California. The investigation cited police and court records as well as interviews with family members and social workers.

One of the alleged victims includes his then 4-year-old stepdaughter. The earliest accusation came in 1993 when the stepdaughter claimed to relatives that Errol touched her inappropriately at the family’s home. She also alleged that she saw Errol sniffing her dirty underwear a decade later, the Times reported.

In 2018, it was revealed that Errol had welcomed a baby with his former stepdaughter, a 30-year-old woman who was 4 years old when her mother Heidi married him, per The Sunday Times of London. Errol did not consider her to be his stepdaughter, saying she spent most her time growing up away from the family.

He explained that he was helping her get over a breakup at the time of their first child’s conception, but he initially assumed the baby’s father was Jana’s ex. “We were lonely, lost people,” Errol said. “One thing led to another — you can call it God’s plan or nature’s plan,” The Sun reported at the time.

The now 37-year-old former stepdaughter told the Times that she and her children do not live with Errol, saying, “My kids are safe and looked after.” She claimed to the publication that she and Errol only share one child while Errol has publicly claimed they share two.

Other family members also reportedly accused Errol of abusing two of his daughters and a stepson. In 2023, Errol’s 5-year-old son claimed his father groped his butt, per the report.

The Times reported that three separate police investigations were launched in response to the allegations but none resulted in any criminal charges being filed against Errol.

In a statement to the Times, Errol denied the allegations, calling the reports “false and nonsense in the extreme.” He further said that the family members fabricated the allegations and that they were trying to extort Elon, per the report.

Elon is Errol’s oldest child and one of three he shares with his first wife, Maye Musk. According to the Times, the investigation found the child sex abuse allegations could be why the two have an acrimonious relationship. The Times reported that a family member wrote Elon a five-page letter around 2010 asking for “advice, help, and guidance” regarding the claims, though it’s unclear if Elon is aware of the letter. Elon declined to comment to the Times, they reported.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

In a 2017 interview with Rolling Stone, during which he reportedly cried, Elon called his father “a terrible human being” and “evil.”

“You have no idea about how bad. Almost every crime you can possibly think of, he has done,” Elon said. “Almost every evil thing you could possibly think of, he has done … It’s so terrible, you can’t believe it.”

The Tesla founder also said there was no way to repair his relationship with his father. “In my experience, there is nothing you can do,” he added.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.