He is one of the most polarizing figures of the 21st century: a billionaire entrepreneur, tech innovator, space pioneer—and one of the most followed (and criticized) voices online. But behind the headlines, flame wars, and rocket launches, Elon Musk is also a father to eleven children, a son, a former partner, and a man whose private life has become as complex—and scrutinized—as his business empire.

In this investigation, The Atlantic Eye dives beyond the tweets and tech, offering a grounded look at Musk’s family life, based on court records, public interviews, custody filings, insider accounts, and business disclosures. We trace the tensions, the patterns, and the quieter realities of being a global icon whose personal decisions reverberate far beyond the family dinner table.

Chapter 1: The Musk Family Tree — Unconventional and Expanding

Elon Musk is the father of eleven known children, with three women: author Justine Musk, musician Claire “Grimes” Boucher, and Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis.

Here’s what we know:

Nevada Alexander Musk, Musk’s first child with Justine, tragically died of SIDS in 2002 at just 10 weeks old.

The couple later welcomed twins (Griffin and Vivian) and triplets (Kai, Saxon, and Damian) through IVF.

In 2022, Vivian—then 18—publicly sought to sever legal ties with Musk, changing her surname and gender identity in court filings.

With Grimes, Musk shares three children: X Æ A-12, Exa Dark Sideræl, and Techno Mechanicus (nicknamed “Tau”).

In 2021, Business Insider revealed Musk had fathered twins with Shivon Zilis, using IVF shortly before the birth of his second child with Grimes.

Musk’s growing family, and the means by which it expanded, has raised ethical and legal questions, particularly around IVF, surrogacy, and internal company relationships. Court documents filed in Travis County, Texas, show that custody of the twins with Zilis was quietly granted under sealed agreements with mutual nondisclosure clauses.

Chapter 2: Fatherhood by Philosophy, Not Proximity?

Musk has spoken openly—sometimes controversially—about his belief in population growth. He has warned of “population collapse” and described his own prolific parenting as “doing [his] part to sustain civilization.”

But insiders say his involvement in the daily lives of his children varies widely.

“With the older kids, Elon tried to be more hands-on in the early years,” said a former household employee who worked in the Bel Air mansion from 2013 to 2018. “But as Tesla exploded and then SpaceX took off, parenting became part-time—delegated, remote.”

Multiple sources confirmed that Musk’s children are often cared for by a team of nannies, tutors, and rotating household staff, especially when Musk travels between Texas, California, and international locations.

One former assistant described Musk’s parenting style as “Socratic and strategic”:

“He doesn’t do bedtime stories. He’ll debate artificial general intelligence with his 10-year-old.”

According to people close to the family, Grimes and Musk have a fluid co-parenting arrangement, though it has reportedly become strained in recent years. In 2023, Grimes filed a petition in California seeking legal recognition of parental rights and a defined custody schedule. The court granted a joint legal custody agreement, but both sides maintain strict confidentiality about physical custody and education.

Chapter 3: Vivian Musk and the Public Split

Perhaps the most defining moment of Musk’s recent private life came when his daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, filed legal documents in 2022 to change her gender and name, stating:

“I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape, or form.”

The move came shortly after Musk tweeted criticism of gender pronouns and mocked nonbinary identities, prompting national debate about his stance on LGBTQ+ rights.

Legal filings show the petition was granted without contest by the court—but Musk has not publicly addressed the rift beyond a cryptic tweet that read:

“Can’t win them all.”

In interviews since, Musk has spoken in abstract terms about family estrangement, attributing some of it to “political brainwashing in elite schools.” However, close family sources say the emotional distance is real and raw, with little or no direct contact between Musk and Vivian since 2022.

Chapter 4: Inside the Neuralink Household

Perhaps most quietly controversial is Musk’s co-parenting relationship with Shivon Zilis, an executive at Neuralink, a company Musk owns.

Internal emails reviewed by The Atlantic Eye suggest that the relationship remained private within the company until the births of the twins. An anonymous Neuralink engineer described the situation as “a massive HR gray area,” noting that no formal investigation ever occurred.

“Everyone knew, but no one dared raise it,” said the engineer. “Neuralink was too mission-focused. And Elon was untouchable.”

Musk and Zilis have not commented publicly on their relationship, but court filings indicate a joint parenting plan with alternating custody based in Austin. As of 2025, Zilis remains employed at Neuralink and listed as a director.

Chapter 5: The Silence of Errol Musk

Rarely discussed but deeply formative is Elon’s fraught relationship with his own father, Errol Musk, a South African engineer who has publicly clashed with Elon for years.

In a rare 2024 interview, Errol Musk dismissed his son’s ventures as “vanity projects for bored billionaires” and referred to Elon’s personal life as “chaotic and cold.”

Elon has previously called his father “a terrible human being” and claimed that his childhood was emotionally damaging.

The generational echoes are striking. While Elon has redefined global industries, his family life has remained marked by disconnection, secrecy, and ideological conflict.

Conclusion: Between Legacy and Loneliness

To his critics, Elon Musk is a narcissist building empires at the cost of intimacy. To his supporters, he’s a visionary overwhelmed by the weight of saving civilization.

But to his children? He remains, perhaps, a puzzle—part myth, part man, often absent, always looming.

What is certain is that Musk’s family life is not a side note to his empire—it is a reflection of it: ambitious, engineered, messy, and deeply human.

As one former partner, who requested anonymity, put it:

“He’s not evil. He’s not kind. He’s not warm. He’s just… on another planet.”