New York Times investigation details alleged abuse by Errol Musk, father of Elon Musk

A New York Times investigative report describes multiple accusations that Errol Musk, the 79-year-old father of tech billionaire Elon Musk, sexually abused five of his children and stepchildren over decades, including a stepdaughter with whom he shares a child. The allegations, drawn from interviews, letters and emails, have not led to criminal charges, and Errol Musk denies the accusations.

The report traces the earliest claim to 1993, when the stepdaughter, then 4, told relatives that he had placed her on garbage cans outside their home and touched her. It says a decade later she claimed to find him in her bedroom sniffing her underwear. The Times outlines other accusations against Errol involving his daughters and a stepson. Police investigated three times; two investigations concluded and one remained unresolved, according to the report.

Elon Musk has acknowledged the family turmoil in past interviews, and the Times notes that he has supported certain relatives financially at times. He has helped a former stepsister who later had a child with Errol and offered to pay for her rehabilitation, and at times tried to keep children away from Errol when they lived in California, family members told the Times. Elon Musk said in a 2023 biography that he is not in touch with his father, according to the report.

The stepdaughter, now 37, told the Times that Elon sends money every month and has bought her a car. She said Elon has been supportive; her mother, Heide-Mari Bezuidenhout, had charges dropped as part of a divorce settlement, and she later faced housing and mental health challenges. Bezuidenhout divorced Errol twice and had a fraught history with the family that included a period in a psychiatric hospital, according to relatives and the Times.

The Times also details a 2011 appeal for help to Elon Musk. His assistant said Elon would pay for the stepdaughter to stay in a rehabilitation clinic, though the stepdaughter later faced homelessness after leaving rehab. The stepsister later described a complicated relationship with Errol that began when she was older, and Errol acknowledged that they were intimate at times, describing both as lonely and lost people. The Times documents that police were contacted multiple times in connection with these claims.

In 2021 and 2022, relatives and a social worker sought to intervene as concerns persisted about the welfare of Errol’s children and stepchildren. One of the most disturbing claims involved a 5-year-old son who is Errol’s child with his stepdaughter; in text messages reviewed by the Times, relatives described the boy saying his father groped his behind. The Times reports that this and related concerns prompted police involvement at least once in recent years, though it is not clear what actions followed.

Errol Musk has publicly denied the allegations, calling the reports false and nonsense. He has asserted that some family members seek money from Elon Musk and have used the allegations to press for support. He also said that he remains close with some of his children and stepchildren, even as others have said they felt harmed by the family dynamics and by attempts to capitalize on Elon Musk’s fame. A spokeswoman for Elon Musk did not respond to requests for comment, and Elon Musk himself has told biographers that he has limited or no contact with his father.

The broader context of the report portrays a family riven by disputes over inheritance, reputation and money, and it highlights how public wealth and private family trauma can intersect. Some relatives described efforts to distance younger family members from Errol in California, while others recalled moments when Elon Musk stepped in to help with housing, education and medical needs. The report notes that a number of family members have expressed anger at Errol’s attempts to leverage Elon Musk’s fame, including ventures tied to the Musk name that are not connected to Elon himself.

Errol Musk has been married to three women and has at least nine children and stepchildren, according to family members cited by the Times. He has described himself as an engineer and a former mine owner, and he has repeatedly disputed the accusations, saying they misrepresent his behavior and motives. The Times report draws on interviews, court documents, text messages and emails shared by relatives, along with archival reporting from previous years.

The investigation adds a new dimension to the public understanding of Elon Musk’s personal background and the family history that has accompanied his rise in business and technology. While the father’s alleged actions are unrelated to Elon Musk’s companies, the disclosures illuminate the private tensions that have shadowed the billionaire’s public persona and philanthropy.

The report raises questions about how families navigate accusations of abuse within a high-profile dynasty and how financial support, media attention and personal relationships intersect in cases that span decades and generations.