A report by the New York Times sheds light on the private life of the Musk family, revealing that Errol Musk’s children, both biological and stepchildren, have accused him of sexual abuse from 1993 to the present. The incidents are said to have occurred in South Africa and California, while family members have reached out to Elon Musk seeking his help.

According to the newspaper, although Elon Musk is outspoken about many aspects of his life, there is one area he does not talk about: the longstanding estrangement from his father.

The paper notes that a major factor in Elon Musk’s strained relationship with his father is the allegations of sexual abuse against Errol Musk. Relatives have reportedly contacted the Tesla founder asking for help, leading him to take action, as indicated by letters, emails, and interviews with family members.

The first allegation dates back to 1993

The first allegation comes from 1993, when Errol Musk’s then four-year-old stepdaughter told relatives that he had touched her at home. Ten years later, the stepdaughter claimed she caught him smelling her dirty underwear. Some family members have accused Errol Musk of abusing two of his daughters and one stepson. The most recent incident is alleged to have occurred in 2023, when family members and a social worker intervened after a complaint that the then five-year-old son said his father touched his buttocks.

Police and court records indicate that three separate investigations were opened. Two were closed, while the outcome of the third remains unclear. The 79-year-old Errol Musk has not been convicted of any crime.

“We see these children suffering every day”

The incidents have caused a rift within the family. Some relatives sought help from Elon Musk, the eldest son. Around 2010, a relative wrote a five-page letter to Elon detailing some of the allegations and asked him to intervene. “We really need your advice, help, and guidance on these matters because we see these children suffering every day,” the letter said, according to the New York Times.

It is unclear whether Elon Musk read the letter, but an assistant sent a message to a relative. Elon himself has provided financial support to the stepfamily and his father’s children from his third marriage. At one point, he tried to keep these family members in California, away from Errol Musk. However, he did not get involved in the police investigations in South Africa.

Strong influence

In the past, Errol Musk had a strong influence over the family. The former stepdaughter, whom he allegedly touched at age four, later had a child with him at age 20. She struggled with drug use, while her mother, who married Errol twice, faced mental health challenges.

“Errol Musk left a huge trauma on our family,” said Elmi Smit, sister of Errol’s third wife, who claimed she emailed Elon Musk.

Errol Musk denies allegations

Errol Musk told the Times that the “reports are false and extremely foolish,” claiming the allegations were fabricated by family members who “put the children up to saying false things” and were trying to get money from Elon Musk.

In an email to the Times, Errol Musk also claimed he knew of only one abuse allegation. He provided explanations for the circumstances of two others. He said he has a good relationship with Elon Musk and is “very close” to him.

Elon Musk and his personal lawyer did not respond to requests for comment. In 2017, he told Rolling Stone that his father had done “almost every bad thing you can imagine.” In a 2023 biography, he stated that he does not communicate with Errol Musk.

Family members speak

The former stepdaughter, now 37 and with several children, avoided answering the Times questions about the allegations, stating only that she and her children did not live with him. “My children are safe and cared for,” she said.

Most of her financial support comes from Elon Musk, who sends her money monthly and bought her a car. “Elon has always been there,” she said.

Errol Musk’s marriages

Born in Pretoria, Errol Musk has married three women.

In 1970, he married dietitian and model Maye Haldeman. They had three children: Elon, Tosca, and Kimbal. The couple divorced in 1979. Maye later wrote in 2019 that she experienced physical and verbal abuse. Elon’s biography also describes a strained relationship with his father, noting he showed no compassion and could become extremely angry.

After the divorce, Elon stayed with his father. “I didn’t yet know how awful he was,” he told his biographer.

In 1989, Errol Musk married model Sue Wilson. That year, 17-year-old Elon left South Africa for North America. His siblings and Maye followed later.

Around 1992, Errol Musk married Heide-Mari Bezuidenhout, 19 years his junior, who had three children from a previous marriage. She reportedly had mental health issues. The couple had one daughter together.

The first allegation in 1993

In 1993, the 4-year-old daughter of Errol Musk’s wife from her first marriage told her aunt, Smith, that Errol Musk had touched her. Smith and other relatives contacted the authorities, and the police opened an investigation.

Later, Bezuidenhout withdrew the allegations as part of the divorce settlement, which included a house, a car, and a monthly allowance, according to family members and a 2010 letter from a relative seeking Elon Musk’s help.

After the divorce, Errol Musk said a judge had awarded him custody of their young daughter, and that two judges had dismissed the abuse claims. Bezuidenhout was only allowed to visit the child in the presence of a social worker, he said. The Times did not find evidence to confirm his claims.

In 1996, Bezuidenhout remarried but soon divorced. She was subsequently admitted to a psychiatric hospital for depression, and her three children from her first marriage were placed in an independent care facility. However, in 1999, she remarried Errol Musk. The three children left the facility in 2000. The following year, Errol and his wife had another daughter. In 2002, they visited California to see Elon Musk, who bought them a $2 million home in Malibu.

Allegation in California

One day, the Musk family was going to see a movie when Errol’s then 14-year-old stepdaughter said she had forgotten her blouse. When she returned to her room to get it, she found her stepfather smelling her dirty underwear. The police were called, and Elon Musk was informed. Family members said they reported the incident to child protective services in Los Angeles. Errol Musk denies the allegation, claiming he was cleaning the girl’s room after returning from a trip and found the house “in a terrible mess.”

After the allegations, Elon Musk reportedly sent his father back to South Africa. Errol Musk maintains he left the U.S. voluntarily, and that this was when his estrangement from Elon began, who allegedly wanted to keep the children in California for their protection.

New allegations

In 2003, Bezuidenhout returned alone to South Africa with four of her children, and in 2005, she divorced Errol for the second time. In 2006, her youngest son died in a car accident. In 2007, she sent Elon Musk a message saying she was living “in very bad conditions,” without basic amenities at home. Elon responded by sending money for repairs and for some of the children’s private school tuition.

Errol Musk’s former stepdaughter used drugs, and in 2009, Bezuidenhout reunited with Errol, and the children returned to his care. Later, when the former stepdaughter was 21, she filed for a temporary protection order, alleging that Errol kissed her and forced her to kiss him. Errol told the New York Times that she had assaulted him and kissed him inappropriately.

With the same temporary order, the former stepdaughter also alleged—without giving details—that two of her sisters and one stepson had been abused “years earlier.” Errol dismissed these claims as “nonsense” or “absurd.”

The most recent incident dates to 2022. A boy of about 5 said his father had touched him. An investigation was immediately opened but was closed by prosecutors due to insufficient evidence.

In 2023, Elon began sending money monthly to his former step-sister. Around that time, she commented on social media that she and her brother had set conditions for supporting their father, including that he behave appropriately. “Our father, however, did not,” she added.