Elon Musk's Ex Ashley St. Clair Shares Rare Picture of Son After Allegedly Turning Down $40M NDA

Ashley St. Clair has shared a rare picture of her son, Romulus, on his second birthday, offering a glimpse of the child as her public dispute with Elon Musk over privacy, money and custody continues.

St. Clair shared the black-and-white photograph on Instagram Stories, showing herself walking with Romulus along a beach. 'Happy Birthday, Romi. Mama loves you so very much. I love watching the world through your eyes, you are so kind, inquisitive, strong, and funny,' she wrote.

The post came days after St. Clair discussed an alleged $40 million (£29.88 million) confidentiality agreement at the Venice Film Festival, where Alex Gibney's documentary Musk had its world premiere on 8 September. St. Clair said she rejected the alleged offer so she could speak publicly about her relationship with Musk and participate in the film.

The Disputed $40 Million Offer

St. Clair told reporters in Venice: 'I was offered the opportunity not to speak for $40 million.'

She has previously described the alleged arrangement as $15 million (£11.2 million) upfront plus $100,000 (£74,690) a month for 20 years. Those stated payments would total about $39 million (£29.13 million) over the period, although the terms have not been independently verified.

St. Clair has said the proposed agreement included confidentiality and non-disparagement restrictions and that rejecting it allowed her to speak about her relationship with Musk in Gibney's documentary.

Musk has denied that the offer was ever made. On 9 September, he responded to a post about St. Clair's comments on X, writing: 'She was never offered that and has a history of making false claims.'

No publicly released contract, term sheet or other documentation has established that the alleged $40 million arrangement was offered. St. Clair later said on Instagram that 'they have the contract, the calls, and the messages', but did not publicly attach those materials.

The Custody Dispute

St. Clair gave birth to Romulus in September 2024 and publicly identified Musk as his father in February 2025. She subsequently filed a petition in New York seeking legal recognition of Musk as the father and sole custody of their son.

The custody dispute has remained part of the wider public disagreement between the two. Musk has also discussed providing financial support for Romulus and has said he intended to pursue custody himself.

Those competing positions should not be confused with a final custody ruling. The allegations contained in court filings are not, by themselves, judicial findings.

The birthday photograph similarly does not establish the current status of the custody proceedings or resolve questions about Musk's involvement in his son's life.

Family Tensions Surface

The dispute has also extended to Musk's mother, Maye Musk.

St. Clair has publicly claimed that Maye has never met Romulus and criticised her relationship with other members of Musk's family. She also addressed the issue in social-media posts around the child's second birthday.

Those statements are St. Clair's claims. The complete history of contact between Maye Musk and Romulus has not been independently established in the public record.

The Documentary Bringing the Attention Back

The alleged confidentiality agreement has received renewed attention because of Musk, the nearly four-hour documentary directed by Gibney.

The Venice Film Festival lists Jigsaw Productions, Closer Media, Anonymous Content and Double Agent as the film's production companies. St. Clair is among the documentary's featured subjects, alongside figures including Justine Musk, Kara Swisher and Tesla co-founder Martin Eberhard.

St. Clair appeared in Venice with Gibney ahead of the film's world premiere and discussed the alleged agreement she said she refused. The documentary examines Musk's business career, political influence and personal life.

Musk has criticised the film and described it as a 'hit piece' on X.

The Photo Leaves Key Questions Unanswered

The birthday post is notable because St. Clair has generally kept her son's public profile limited, while the photograph arrives during a renewed dispute over an alleged confidentiality deal and an unresolved custody battle.

But the image itself establishes little beyond what it shows: St. Clair walking with her son on his birthday.

It does not prove the existence of the alleged $40 million agreement or determine the outcome of the custody dispute. For now, St. Clair and Musk continue to give sharply different accounts of the issues surrounding their son.