Who is Errol Musk? Quick Facts on the Politician Accused of Sexually Abusing His Children and Stepchildren, and How He's Related To Elon Musk

Errol Musk, father of the world's richest man, faces accusations of sexually abusing five of his children and stepchildren, with allegations dating back more than three decades. Earlier this week, The New York Times published an investigative article entitled Elon Musk's Father Accused of Child Sexual Abuse that circulated wildly on the internet. But just what do we know about Errol Musk?

Early Life, Political Career and Business Ventures

Errol Graham Musk was born on 25 May 1946 in Pretoria, South Africa. His parents were Walter Henry James Musk, a white South African, and Cora Amelia Musk, originally from Liverpool. He attended Clapham High School and later studied electromechanics at the University of Pretoria.

In 1972, Musk was elected to the Pretoria City Council as an independent councillor. He later joined the Progressive Federal Party in 1980 and served until 1983, when he resigned over policy disagreements. His departure was publicly noted at the time, with local media describing it as evidence of political division within the opposition.

Outside politics, Musk ran a successful engineering consultancy, developed property, and invested in ventures including emerald trading. In the early 1980s, he built a tourist lodge in the Timbavati Game Reserve and acquired rights to emeralds from mines in Zambia. He has previously claimed his safe was so full of money it could not be closed, though Elon Musk has denied receiving financial help from him.

Relationship With Elon Musk

Errol Musk married dietitian and model Maye Haldeman in 1970. Together, they had three children: Elon, Kimbal, and Tosca. The couple divorced in 1979, with Maye later stating that Errol had been violent during the marriage.

After the separation, Errol repeatedly pursued legal action over child custody. Elon Musk has described his father as abusive and manipulative. In a 2017 interview, he said his father had committed nearly every imaginable wrongdoing, stating: 'My dad will have a carefully thought-out plan of evil' and described him as a 'terrible human being,'

Sexual Abuse Allegations

On 23 September 2025, The New York Times published a report detailing allegations that Errol Musk sexually abused five children and stepchildren. The claims include an incident from 1993, when his four-year-old stepdaughter reportedly told relatives that he had touched her inappropriately at their home. Later, she is said to have accused him of additional incidents, including one where she allegedly caught him sniffing her underwear.

The Times cited family letters, interviews, police records, and personal emails. The report also noted three separate police investigations into Musk's conduct. Two cases were dropped, while the outcome of the third remains unknown.

Family members also accused Errol Musk of abusing two daughters and a stepson. Musk strongly denied the allegations in a written statement, calling them 'nonsense' and 'rubbish'. He claimed that relatives were manipulating the children and trying to extort money from Elon.

Relationship With Stepdaughter and Further Family Controversy

In the early 1990s, Errol Musk married Heide Bezuidenhout, a woman 20 years his junior. She had a daughter, Jana, from a previous relationship. In 2018, it was revealed that Musk had fathered a child with Jana, his stepdaughter.

In 2022, he confirmed that they had a second child together. At that time, Musk had at least seven children.'The only thing we are on Earth for is to reproduce.', he said.

Now 79, Errol Musk continues to attract international attention due to his family ties, political comments, and business interests. Despite repeated public denials, the accusations against him have resurfaced as a possible reason behind his fractured relationship with his son Elon.