And, on at least one occasion, his now famous son also took his hand at dealing in the gems, with peculiar results. All the Musk siblings did well, Forbes reported. A common story about Musk on social media is that his father owned part of an emerald mine, providing a bedrock of wealth that buoyed Elon up to his current level of success. Errol told BI that he was flying from his home in South Africa to the U.K. to sell the plane he was on, with a young Elon in tow. 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In 2017, Errol told Rolling Stone that while he has never intentionally hurt or threatened anyone, he once shot and killed a group of burglars at his home in Johannesburg, though he says he was cleared of all charges because he acted in self-defense. He didnt own an emerald mine, and I worked my way through college, ending up [around] $100,000 in student debt, Elon tweeted. ", Five days later on Feb. 28, Business Insider SA published a second article with the headline, "Elon Musk's family owns an emerald mine in Zambia here's the fascinating story of how they came to own it.". Regardless of your opinion of him, he is aself-made billionaire." He attended Queens University in Canada. It was revealed last weekthat he welcomed twochildren with an executiveat his artificial intelligence company, Neuralink, just weeks before hissecond child with his ex-girlfriend, Grimes,was born. Where is this bs coming from?" He also added, "'Self-made billionaires' are a myth." "The Richest Person In Every State And How They Made Their Money." In an interview with The Sun, Errol recalled the attack, claiming that he was confronted by a group of seven men inside his home and shot back at the intruders after they opened fire. R/EnoughMuskSpam via Reddit.com, 5 Dec. 2019, www.reddit.com/r/EnoughMuskSpam/comments/e6j76f/his_family_stole_an_emerald_mine/. While the story did mention the family once lived in a popular suburb, the article said nothing of the emerald mine providing wealth to the son when he moved to Canada in 1988, or to the U.S. in 1992. All rights reserved. That conversation is more valuable but less newsworthy than just resurfacing the same lazy claims every few months, which are guaranteed to get clicks. Elon Musk's father, Errol Musk, remains a mysterious figure, and there is still no common consensus how his work or his wealth during Elon's childhood. It was not a good idea.. It was authored by Jeremy Arnold with The Save Journalism Committee. "Elon Musk's family owns an emerald mine" was corrected to "Elon Musk's family once owned an emerald mine." "Exploring the otherworldly ambitions of Elon Musk", "How To Raise A Billionaire: An Interview With Elon Musk's Father, Errol Musk", "Who Is Elon Musk's Estranged Father? "I screwed up the marriage, I was totally responsible. ", His post ended with this: "Finally, it is necessary to acknowledge the wrong and oppressive nature of apartheid and we do need to recognise the pain and suffering it caused for many South Africans, but I do not feel it is fair to associate any of that with what Elon has achieved through hard work since he left South African shores as a teenager of 17.". This story will be updated if any further details come to light. When the same pattern of racist behavior happens at all $tsla locations, its the company thats racist, and the fish rots from @elonmusk s head.https://t.co/aKAP7vrT6G https://t.co/EMN9xQH06V. CEO Elon Musk said his father Errol ran out of money in the '90s and was provided financial support by the entrepreneur and his brother. Are broader financial markets in a massive speculative bubble? It was that lifestyle, Errol says, that turned Elon into the kind of merchant adventurer who would later break the rules of the motoring business with Tesla, then go on to change spaceflight with SpaceX. While His Dad Was Sleeping." It was kind of weird for them to walk into Tiffanys. After the divorce, Elon lived with his father in Pretoria, where he attended Pretoria Boys High. Journalism strengthens democracy. "There was just stacks of money and he paid me out, 80,000, it was a huge amount of money." Errol admitted to having affairs, but his ex-wife, now a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model, said the problems in their marriage extended beyond infidelity, alleging that Errol was abusive. . Kaizer Chiefs to sign more Swallows players. de Wet, Phillip. Errol owned one of the largest homes in Pretoria and took his children on many overseas trips, according to the book, Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, written by Ashlee Vance. Whats very difficult for others is easy for me. Heres his story. Jana was 4 years old when Errol married her mother, Heide Bezuidenhout though he claims that he didn't consider Jana his stepdaughter, as she primarily grew up separate from the Musks. Invest in the future today. Almost every crime you can possibly think of, he has done, he continued. "We went to . [4], Musk met Maye Haldeman when he was 11 years old and they were childhood friends before marrying in 1970. Elon Musk came from a family that owned an emerald mine in Apartheid South Africa. The Musk name might be one of the most recognizable on the planet, but little is known about its patriarch, Errol Musk. . Their half-sister.. Twitter, https://twitter.com/elonmusk/. We also reached out to both men for additional comment and to ask if they could potentially provide any evidence that would support their statements, even though they didn't start the rumor. 2023 The Moguldom Nation. "I said, 'Oh, all right'. "Zip2." On holidays, Errol and his kids would travel, he said: to Europe, Hong Kong, throughout the United States. One thing most of us can agree on is that there is a more nuanced conversation to be had about how Musk specifically and South Africas white population in general, even those who didnt own mines benefitted from apartheid. He was bullied at school. He's the son of Maye Musk, a model and dietitian from Canada, and Errol Musk, a South African electromechanical engineer, pilot, and sailor. Clash's same 2014 interview was also republished by AskMen.com on Jan. 2, 2015. Kaizer Chiefs to sign more Stellenbosch players? Move over, Elon theres another Musk hitting the headlines. When Errol and Maye divorced in 1979, a then-8-year-old Elon chose to live with his dad. "Elon Musk Is the Hero America Deserves." Errol made money by consulting and developing properties, Forbes reported. Jack @lets_gobaby tweeted, Ok but how does inheriting money mean you arent smart?. He said that he sold and traded these emeralds himself and that at one point, Elon himself even went out to sell some of the stones. "'We Had so Much Money We Couldn't Even Close Our Safe': Elon Musk's Dad Tells BI about the Family's Insanely Casual Attitude to Wealth." Business Insider South Africa, 22 Feb. 2018, https://www.businessinsider.co.za/elon-musk-sells-the-family-emeralds-in-new-york-2018-2. Ashlee Vance interviewed hundreds of people. Musk's revelation about his father's financial situation in the '90s comes after a Berkeley professor and former Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich, claimed on Twitter that 'self-made billionaires' are a myth and Musk came from a family that owned an emerald mine in Apartheid South Africa. Are you prioritizing your cable entertainment bill over protecting and investing in your family? "But I mean, we were living together. The share in the mine wasnt acquired until the 1980s. There, the two South Africans ran into a group of Italians who, as it happened, were in the market for an airplane. But the emerald mine story keeps coming back. "Can Elon Musk Really Get Us To Mars Within 10 Years?" "He didn't own an emerald mine & I worked my way through college, ending up ~$100k in student debt. They still dont like it. His brother Kimbal was with him when the two brothers sold two of the gems to Tiffany & Co. for $2,000, according to their father. Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future. The article's headline was changed in late July or early August 2020, which appeared to be after Errol made his Facebook poston July 27, which called the dated article's claims into question. Ask him." @Keewa tweeted on May 9, 2020, Remind: Elon Musk inherited money from his fathers apartheid emerald mine, that doesnt mean hes clever. For 14 free days, you can have access to a world of in-depth analyses, investigative journalism, top opinions and a range of features. Listen to GHOGH with Jamarlin Martin | Episode 74: Jamarlin Martin Jamarlin returns for a new season of the GHOGH podcast to discuss Bitcoin, bubbles, and Biden. Recently, Elon Musk had to set the record straight on a narrative spun over three years ago about his family owning an emerald mine in South Africa. A common story about Musk on social media is that his father owned part of an emerald mine, providing a bedrock of wealth that buoyed Elon up to his current level of success. First, we have republished past statements from both Errol and Elon. Bill Gates' mom helped Microsoft get a deal with IBM. Here is the incredible true story of Errol Musk and the striking similarities he shares with his powerful son. The gist of the claim was that Elon's father, Errol Musk, who reports say has been estranged from his son for some time, owned an emerald mine during apartheid in South Africa, and that it was seed money from his father's wealth from the mine that made it possible for him to become the American billionaire he is today. In that way, Errol might be like estranged Elon after all. This is going to sound slightly crazy, but my father also had a share in an Emerald mine in Zambia. [13] After engaging in extra-marital affairs,[4] Errol and Maye divorced in 1979, and both sons moved in with their father. After the end of the article, a note was added that read, "BI SA reached out to Elon for confirmation of the tale, but he did not respond. We reached out to AskMen.com to ask if the fact that some of the pages were gone was a glitch, or if it was a purposeful partial removal. Business Insider South Africa, 23 Feb. 2018, https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musks-dad-tells-bi-about-the-familys-casual-attitude-to-wealth-2018-2. After the divorce, Elon lived mostly with his father until he left South Africa at age 17 partly to avoid conscription in the South African army. However, in the recent Channel 4 documentary Elon Musk: Superhero or Supervillain, co-founder of SpaceX, Jim Cattrell, claimed Elon was home at the time. The Associated Press, 20 July 2021, https://apnews.com/article/business-science-3546262d41f4c84763aa15339f642a5a. All Rights Reserved. Elon, 51, was brought to tears discussing his dad in a 2017 interview with Rolling Stone, describing him as evil and a terrible human being.. "I paid my own way through collegethrough student loans, scholarships, working jobsand ended up with $100,000 of student debt," Musk says. Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Fortier, Alexander. The Twitter account no longer exists. The gist of the claim was that Elon's father, Errol Musk, who reports say has been estranged from his son for some time, owned an emerald mine during apartheid in South Africa, and that it. You could tell by the way that he told the story. Copyright Blue Sky Publications Ltd. All Rights Reserved. So I became a half owner of the mine, and we got emeralds for the next six years.". This is not true," Elon told Rolling Stone in 2017. Copyright 2023 PopCulture.com. We also reached out to media relations personnel at SpaceX, where he is the founder and CEO, as well as Tesla and Twitter. Bloomberg.com, 22 May 2020, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-05-22/elon-musk-speaks-frankly-on-coronavirus-spacex-and-rage-tweets. coming from?. odakyu11. From impregnating his stepdaughter to the emerald mine, here's what we know about Elon Musk's South African father Errol Musk. I couldnt even afford a 2nd PC at Zip2, so programmed at night & website only worked during day.. Jump to Main content Search Account Menu icon A vertical stack of three evenly spaced horizontal. In an interview with Express, Cattrell recalled: One night, they were sitting in the living room and his dad said Everybody down! Several decades ago, Errol allegedly shot and killed three armed intruders who broke into his Johannesburg home. ---. Errol Musk is a South African electromechanical engineer, pilot, and sailor. 2014, https://www.newspapers.com/image/878211644/. We sent these messages on Nov. 16, but did not receive responses before publishing this story on the following day. But that's more or less where the good fortune ended. In an interview with Rolling Stone, during which he reportedly cried, Elon called his father "a terrible human being" and "evil. The way Errol tells it, that all started with an inconvenient religious holiday. Errol Musk, the father of Elon Musk, told British tabloid The Sun Wednesday that he had a second and previously-unknown child with his stepdaughter, Jana Bezuidenhout, in 2019 leaving many. "We went to this guy's prefab [home] and he opened his safe," Errol said. On July 3, 2020, Elon tweeted about the subject again, responding to a since-deleted tweet with, "I don't have an 'emerald mine,' nor was I given free money from anyone, inheritance or otherwise. ", In the post, he claimed that his family stood in opposition to apartheid, saying he went so far as to be elected as a Pretoria city councillor to aid that opposition. People.Com, 7 Nov. 2022, https://people.com/human-interest/who-is-errol-musk-elon-musk-father/. [1] His father was a South African veteran of World War II and his mother was British. Born in 1971, Musk grew up in Pretoria, South Africa. "Elon Musk Is the Hero America Deserves." Errol met Maye Haldeman the lady who would become his wife at Clapham High School. Elon Musk: The Truth About His Dad and Emerald Mines, Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes Should Remain On-Air Couple After ABC Exit, According to TV Host, King Charles' Reported Reason for Evicting Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Revealed, Hoda Kotb Makes Brief 'Today Show' Appearance Amid Family Health Matter, 'Creed III': Why Sylvester Stallone and Rocky Balboa Are Missing From Latest Film, Disney World Brings Back 'Beauty & the Beast' Experience for First Time Since COVID-19 Pandemic Began, QVC Hosts Call it Quits After Nearly 20 Years, Florida Residents Urged to Use Caution With Tap Water After Man Dies From Brain-Eating Amoeba. FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT ERROL MUSK 1. "We were lonely, lost people," Errol said. Sager, Jessica. In addition to Elon, Errol is dad to son Kimbal Musk and daughters Tosca, Alexandra and Asha Rose Musk. In 2017, family members were left stunned when Jana became pregnant with Errols baby. You have no idea. So I became a half owner of the mine, and we got emeralds for the next six years., When the Tesla CEO was around 16 years old, he and his brother Kimbal sold two emeralds to Tiffany & Co. on Fifth Avenue in New York City while Errol snoozed, according to what Musk's father told Business Insider South Africa. In 2018, Errol Musk interviewed Business Insider South Africa, where he told a story about bartering his way into partial ownership of an emerald mine in Zambia. 2021, https://savingjournalism.substack.com/p/i-talked-to-elon-musk-about-journalism. I couldnt even afford a 2nd PC at Zip2, so programmed at night & website only worked during day. "My [former] wife doesn't speak to me, even when we're together, she won't speak to me, so we haven't spoken to one other for 37 years. Errol Musk said he bought half of an emerald mine after selling a plane. What Happened: Musk's comments came on a Twitter. In 2018, Musk also told Business Insider that his father Errol purchased a 50 per cent share in the mine after selling a plane. Arnold's story included answers from Errol about the mine, who said he had "very limited involvement" in it. Went to Queens Univ with scholarship & debt, then same to UPenn/Wharton & Stanford., In a follow-up tweet, Elon said his father didnt own an emerald mine & I worked my way through college, ending up ~$100k in student debt.. "Elon Musk's Family Once Owned an Emerald Mine in Zambia Here's the Fascinating Story of How They Came to Own It." AskMen, 2 Jan. 2015, https://www.askmen.com/entertainment/right-stuff/elon-musk-interview.html. In the mid-1980s, the family profited handsomely from Errol Musk's purchasing of an emerald mine, after selling their airplane for 80,000 (the equivalent of 320,000 today). Its obvious why Musk would want to distance himself from apartheid in every possible way. So I thought, I can be company. Yeah, I was sad for my father. Hull, Dana, and Patrick May. According to a Facebook post from Errol, the Zambian emerald mine he held a stake in "collapsed in 1989. Still, Elon's tweets leave just enough room for Errol's story to be accurate, even if the inferences about his family's wealth are not. [9], Errol Musk's claims that he invested in Elon Musk's software company Zip2 have been rejected by Elon Musk. He has also dismissed rumors that his father co-owned a Zambian emerald mine, writing on Twitter in 2019: He didnt own an emerald mine & I worked my way through college, ending up ~$100k in student debt. The Tesla CEO has fathered 10 children. The 51-year-old has refuted claims that he grew up rich amid statements that his father Errol owned an emerald mine in South Africa. The tweet was shared as a screenshot on Imgur.com, which showed the image had been viewed more than 300,000 times. Elon Musk addressed the recent social storm when claims related his family's emerald mines in apartheid-South Africa resurfaced online. Elon also denied that Errol invested in the company. I left South Africa by myself when I was 17 with just a backpack & suitcase of books. Thereafter you will be billed R75 per month. Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and his mother, Maye Musk. "[4][8], In 1972, he was elected to the Pretoria City Council as a representative of the anti-apartheid Progressive Party. The story included reporting of Elon's denials that the emerald mine had provided any seed money for the wealth he would later accumulate. Elon Musk does not care about Black people.Example after example after example. "The Man Who's Revolutionizing The Future Of Driving -- And The Universe." Where is this B.S. On their way to England, Errol and his copilot got word that their original flight plan was going to cost a lot of money. Standing with the cash in his hand, Errol was made another offer he couldn't refuse: Would he like to buy half an emerald mine for half of his new riches?