Errol Musk, the father of billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, has been accused of sexually abusing five of his children and stepchildren — including a former stepdaughter with whom he later had a child, according to a bombshell New York Times investigation.
Allegations Spanning Decades
The accusations against the 79-year-old South African engineer date back to 1993, when his stepdaughter, then 4 years old, told relatives that Errol had touched her inappropriately at their home.
A decade later, she reportedly claimed she caught him in her bedroom sniffing her dirty underwear.
Other family members accused him of abusing two daughters and a stepson. More recently, in 2023, a 5-year-old boy — Errol’s child with the same stepdaughter, now an adult — told relatives that his father groped him. That disclosure prompted police involvement, though no charges were filed.
Three separate police investigations have been launched over the years, but none resulted in criminal convictions.
Complicated Family Ties
Errol Musk has nine known children and stepchildren from multiple marriages. One of the most controversial aspects of the allegations involves his relationship with his former stepdaughter, whom he helped raise.
The two later had at least one child together as adults, a revelation that first came to light in 2018.
The stepdaughter, now 37, told the Times she and her children do not live with Errol. “My kids are safe and looked after,” she said, noting that Elon Musk has provided her financial support over the years, including paying for rehab and purchasing her a car.
Family members described years of turbulence. Errol’s third wife and the stepdaughter’s mother, Heide-Mari Bezuidenhout, withdrew charges during their divorce settlement in exchange for financial support.
She later remarried Errol, and their family endured multiple tragedies, including the death of her teenage son in a car accident.
Errol’s Denials
Errol Musk has strongly denied all allegations, calling them “false and nonsense in the extreme.” He suggested that family members had pressured children to lie in attempts to extort money from Elon Musk.
He has also dismissed claims about inappropriate behavior, including one incident when the stepdaughter said he kissed her. Errol claimed she initiated the contact.
Despite his denials, relatives described Errol as leaving “a massive wound” in the family. Elon’s brother, Kimbal Musk, once wrote in an email to their father that the children “preferred living in the children’s home than with either you or Heide.”
Elon Musk’s Response
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO, who is estranged from his father, has not commented publicly on the latest allegations.
In past interviews, however, Elon has characterized Errol as a deeply harmful figure.
In a 2017 Rolling Stone interview, he became emotional when describing his father, saying he had done “almost every evil thing you could possibly think of.”
In his 2023 biography, Elon confirmed he is not in contact with Errol.
Ongoing Fallout
Family members told the Times they were disturbed by Errol’s recent efforts to capitalize on his son’s fame, including promoting a Musk-themed cryptocurrency and discussing plans for a “Musk Tower” in Dubai. Errol denied being directly involved in those ventures.
While Errol has not been convicted of any crime, the Times report has reignited public scrutiny of the Musk family’s turbulent past.
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