Elon Musk is best known for his role in companies such as PayPal and SpaceX, but his involvement in the US Department of Government Efficiency and his private life frequently make the headlines. His rather unconventional love life and his numerous children are often the subject of media reports. But what was his own childhood actually like?
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‘He now embodies the values I taught him’
It is now known that Elon Musk's relationship with his father appears to be strained. However, this does not stop Errol Musk from repeatedly giving interviews in which he also talks about his son.
In an interview with RTL, he talked openly about the childhood of the CEO of X. According to him, Elon Musk was ‘anxious’ as a child and needed ‘a lot of closeness’. Before he moved to Canada in 1989, the tech mogul grew up with his brother Kimbal under the watch of his father. His father now sees in Elon Musk, who has shifted his political stance from Democratic to now conservative, the values he taught him as a child. Errol Musk said:
He now embodies the values that I have taught him and these values do not correspond to those of men who dress like women, i.e. wear clothes.
Which values these are supposed to be remains unclear. However, his statement probably reflects a rejection of liberal social models. In fact, Elon Musk is definitely not a friend of the LGBTQ+ community either, which is one of the reasons why he has a more than difficult relationship with his daughter Vivian. However, it is not only his father's values that undoubtedly had a strong influence on the young Musk.
Elon Musk was bullied at school
It becomes apparent early on that Elon was an intelligent child. While other boys at his school were dedicated to football, Elon preferred to play chess. This didn't seem to help his popularity at school: he was bullied and, according to TheGuardian, was once thrown down a set of stairs, 'beaten so badly that he was hospitalised’. Eventually his father moved both him and Kimbal to a different school, where he was better off.
Surprisingly, however, Elon Musk seemed to be able to take something good from his difficult school days, as he said, according to Yahoo:
I had a terrible childhood. I had to go through a lot of adversity growing up. One thing that worries me about my children is that they don't experience enough challenges.
The relationship between his father and mother probably also left its mark on young Elon.
Troubles at home
A few years ago, Maye Musk, Elon's mother, published her memoir A Woman Makes a Plan: Advice for a Lifetime of Adventure, Beauty, and Success. In it, she claimed that her husband subjected her to physical and emotional abuse.
Elon Musk is said to have witnessed some of his father's behaviour and that reportedly made him want to protect his mother. According to news.at, her biography states, as translated:
Elon punched him in the back of the knee to get him to leave me alone. His two younger siblings sat in the corner crying.
This article has been translated from Oh!MyMag DE.
Read more:
Who is Elon Musk's father? About Errol Musk, his family, and controversial past
Who are Elon Musk’s siblings? Everything to know about Kimbal and Tosca Musk
Who is Elon Musk's mother? Maye Musk's life, career, and relationship with her son
Sources used:
RTL: Bei uns packt Errol Musk über seinen Sohn ausHättet ihr’s erraten? DAS ist Elon Musks Vater!
The Guardian: The making of Elon Musk: how did his childhood in apartheid South Africa shape him?
Yahoo: Elon Musk Was Bullied And Tormented As A Kid For Being The 'Youngest And Smallest Guy,' According To His Mom — He Worries His Children 'Don't Face Enough Adversity'
news.at: Maye Musk: Die Mutter des reichsten Mannes der Welt
