Maye Musk
Who is Maye Musk to Elon Musk?
Maye Musk is the mother of billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk. She raised Elon and his two siblings, Kimbal and Tosca, as a single mother after divorcing their father Errol Musk in 1979.
Mama's Little Genius
Maye has said that she recognized Elon's brilliance from a very young age. When he was 3 years old, she has said she knew he was gifted. “He seemed to understand things quicker than the other kids,” she told Time magazine in 2021.
As a child, Elon voraciously read books, completing two books a day at points. Maye has said he had a photographic memory and could recite facts from the encyclopedias he read. At age 12, Elon coded and sold his first video game, Blastar.
Maye cultivated her son's interests, taking the family on trips around the globe, from Easter Island to Angel Falls in Venezuela. “I took them to interesting places every year to broaden their minds,” she told Time.
Though Elon left South Africa at age 17 to attend college in Canada, he remained close to his mother. Maye said she is very proud of everything her son has accomplished, from PayPal to Tesla to SpaceX. "Elon has exceeded even my expectations, which I didn't think was possible,” she told Parade in 2022. “I am very proud.”
Elon has also spoken highly of the role his mother played in his success. “I wasn’t raised by my parents. I was raised by books,” he told Rolling Stone. “My mom gave me good advice when I was young, which helped guide me.”
Who are the 7 Children of Elon Musk?
Elon Musk has 11 children with three different women. His 7 eldest children are:
1. Nevada Alexander Musk - died at 10 weeks old in 2002. His mother is Elon's first wife, Justine Wilson.
2. Twins Griffin and Xavier (nicknamed "Vivian") Musk - born in 2004. Their mother is Justine Wilson.
3. Triplets Kai, Saxon, and Damian Musk - born in 2006. Their mother is Justine Wilson.
4. X Æ A-Xii Musk - born in 2020. His mother is a musician Grimes.
5. Exa Dark Sideræl Musk - born in 2021. Her mother is Grimes.
6. Twins with Shivon Zilis - born in 2022. Zilis is an executive at Musk's company Neuralink.
7. Second child with Grimes - born in 2022 via surrogate.
Musk also has a stepdaughter named Jana Bezuidenhout, with whom his father Errol Musk had two children in 2017 and 2019.
How Many Biological Children Does Elon Musk Have?
Elon Musk has 11 biological children as of 2022. His first child, Nevada Alexander Musk, tragically died of SIDS at 10 weeks old in 2002.
Musk went on to have 5 sons with his first wife, Canadian author Justine Wilson - twins Griffin and Xavier in 2004, followed by triplets Kai, Saxon, and Damian in 2006. The couple divorced in 2008.
In May 2020, Musk and his girlfriend, musician Grimes, had a son named X Æ A-Xii. He is their first child together. In 2021, they had a daughter named Exa Dark Sideræl via surrogate. After their split in 2022, Grimes gave birth to their second child together, a girl, also via surrogate.
Additionally in 2022, it was reported that Musk secretly had twins with Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis.
So in summary, Elon Musk has 11 living biological children: 5 with his first wife Justine, 3 with Grimes, and 2 with Shivon Zilis. His family continues to grow. Musk has stated he aims to help populate Mars someday.
Who is Maye Musk's Mother?
Maye Musk's mother was Winnifred Josephine Fletcher, though she went by her nickname "Wyn."
Wyn was born in Regina, Saskatchewan in Canada in 1926. She later married Maye's father, Joshua Norman Haldeman, who worked as a chiropractor and amateur archaeologist.
When Maye was 2 years old, Wyn and Joshua decided to move the family from Canada to Pretoria, South Africa so Joshua could pursue his interest in exploring caves and prehistoric dig sites. They also traveled extensively as a family, flying around the world in their prop plane in 1952.
“My mom was a great seamstress and a brilliant homemaker,” Maye wrote in her memoir A Woman Makes a Plan. “My dad called her Wonderful Wyn. She was always teaching Kaye [Maye's twin] and me something new.”
Wyn supported Maye's early interest in modeling and pageants. Maye has said both her parents encouraged her ambitions. “My parents said we could do anything. So I believed them,” she told The Guardian in 2022.
Later in life, Wyn returned to live in Canada. She passed away in 2008 at age 82. Maye said her mother lived a full, adventurous life and set an inspiring example for her own journey.
“My mom taught me so much, and her spirit lives on,” she wrote on Instagram after her mother's death. “She loved and supported me in everything I did.”
Errol was married to Heide Bezuidenhout, Jana's mother, for 18 years. He raised Jana as his stepdaughter from ages 4 to 22.
After Errol divorced Jana's mother in 1997, it was reported he remained close with Jana. Then in 2017, when he was 72 and she was 30, they had a son together named Elliot Rush.
Two years later in 2019, Errol and Jana had a daughter named Maia Rose. Their relationship and children together sparked controversy over the large age gap.
Elon has referred to his father and Jana's relationship as "messed up." He addressed the situation in a 2018 interview with Rolling Stone, stating: “I’ve never even met the child. I didn’t even know about the kid until I got sued for child support and I’m like, ‘Well, who’s this kid?’ So it’s pretty fucked up.”
While uncomfortable for the family, Elon's father having children with his former stepdaughter is highly unorthodox. Jana is now the mother of two of Elon's step-siblings, who are also his father's much younger children.
Is Maye Musk a Vegetarian?
No, Maye Musk is not fully vegetarian, but considers herself a "flexitarian." This means she primarily eats vegetarian at home, but will occasionally eat meat, fish, or chicken when dining out.
Maye has followed a mostly plant-based, high-fiber diet for decades. In her nutrition books like Feel Fantastic and A Woman Makes a Plan, she emphasizes eating vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, seeds, and healthy oils.
“My diet is plant-based with occasional meat or fish thrown in,” she told Woman & Home magazine in 2022. “I’m a flexitarian – I eat vegetarian in the house and vegan or fish when I go out."
While she avoids red meat, Maye does not exclude all animal products from her diet. She will have salmon, chicken, eggs, goat cheese and other non-vegan ingredients periodically. But fruits, nuts, beans, lentils and other vegetarian staples make up the foundation of her meals.
Following an active, plant-focused diet with some lean protein has helped 74-year-old Maye maintain her energy and modeling career. She cites her diet as one factor that has kept her looking and feeling decades younger.
What Languages Does Maye Musk Speak?
Maye Musk can speak English, Afrikaans, French, German and Dutch. However, she is only fully fluent in English and Afrikaans.
English is Maye's native language, and the main language she spoke growing up in Canada. When she moved to South Africa as a child, she learned Afrikaans in high school and college. She is fully fluent in Afrikaans as well since she studied nutrition and dietetics at South Africa's University of the Orange Free State.
As for other languages, Maye has visited France, Germany, and the Netherlands for modeling jobs. She studied French, German and Dutch to achieve basic proficiency for traveling abroad. While she can communicate conversationally in those languages, she is not fully fluent like she is in English and Afrikaans.
“It’s not easy. I have to continue studying and practicing these languages,” Maye has said. She frequently brings a translator on modeling shoots where she'll need to converse in a language besides English.
Overall, Maye can get by in multiple languages thanks to her ongoing studies. But English remains her strongest language, followed by Afrikaans as her second fluent tongue. Her multilingual skills have served her well in the international modeling world.
What Ethnicity is Maye Musk?
Maye Musk's ethnicity is Caucasian. She was born in Canada to parents of European descent.
Maye and her twin sister Kaye were born in 1948 in Regina, Saskatchewan. Their mother Winnifred was a Canadian of English, Irish and Scottish background. Their father Joshua was an American raised in Minnesota.
Maye's family on both sides were white Canadians and Americans of European lineage. She has not specified any Asian, African or Indigenous heritage in her background. Based on available information, Maye Musk appears to be of fully Caucasian ethnicity.
Some publications have referred to Maye and her family members as Afrikaners since they moved to South Africa when she was a child. However, Afrikaner denotes an ethnic group descended from Dutch settlers - it does not indicate Maye's genetic ancestry itself. Her Caucasian ethnicity remains the same regardless of her upbringing in Africa.
Musk's fair skin, blonde hair and light eye color reflect her Caucasian roots. Her appearance has allowed her to achieve success as a model working in Western markets celebrating Eurocentric beauty standards. While criticized, the fashion industry still values those who fit conventional white ideals.
Does Maye Musk Have a Twin Sister?
Yes, Maye Musk has an identical twin sister named Kaye. They were born minutes apart in 1948.
Maye and Kaye grew up together in Saskatchewan, Canada until age 2, when their family moved to Pretoria, South Africa. Their father wanted to pursue archaeology digs and cave explorations in South Africa.
The twin sisters were inseparable growing up. They wore matching outfits and took dance lessons together. However, their interests diverged as teenagers - Maye pursued modeling and pageantry, while Kaye focused on becoming a teacher.
“We’re twins but so different,” Maye told CBC News in 2017. “I was a model, so I traveled the world. She was a teacher, so would rather stay close to home.”
Though they lived apart for years while Maye modeled internationally, the twins remained close. Kaye provided support during Maye's divorce and as a single mother.
Today, Maye's twin sister Kaye lives a quieter life teaching in Canada. But they still get together regularly and support each other’s work.
“We’re always in touch,” said Maye. Their seven-decade bond as twins has weathered geographical distances and lifestyles on separate continents.
What Does Maye Musk Think of Her Son?
Maye Musk has consistently expressed how proud she is of her son Elon and all he has achieved. She has called him a "genius" and stands by him amid controversies.
In interviews, Maye emphasizes Elon's brilliance from a very young age. She credits books and education for his success - not wealth since he grew up without lavish privileges in South Africa.
Though Elon moved away from home as a teen, Maye says they kept a close bond. “He's been an amazing son. We are very close,” she told the New York Times in 2020. “He still calls me almost every day.”
Maye acknowledges the backlash Elon often faces, including for comments on politics or social media sites. But she defends him against the harshest criticism.
“Elon gets a lot of hate. Lots of nasty stuff,” she told the BBC in 2022. “But he has to ignore it because he's got thousands of employees depending on him.”
Rather than be cowed by those who attack Elon online, Maye says it has made her son tougher. “It's hardened him...it hasn’t made him back off, it’s made him more determined,” she said.
No matter the outside controversies around Elon, Maye expresses unwavering support as his mother. She stresses he is committed to advancing technology and helping humanity through projects like Tesla's electric vehicles and SpaceX. Her decades of pride in Elon's goals have not diminished.
Additional Information:
Maye Musk was born in 1948 in Saskatchewan, Canada. She had an adventurous upbringing, moving to South Africa at age 2 so her father could pursue archaeology and cave exploration. Maye and her identical twin sister Kaye were raised in Pretoria, South Africa. Maye began modeling as a teenager and was a pageant contestant, while Kaye became a school teacher.
Maye married her high school sweetheart Errol Musk in 1970 and had three children - Elon, Kimbal and Tosca Musk. Though she recognized Elon's brilliance from a very young age, raising the children as a single mom after her divorce was an immense challenge. Maye worked hard as a model and dietitian while earning advanced degrees to provide for her family.
Now in her 70s, Maye Musk has achieved great success in the modeling world, appearing on magazine covers and in ad campaigns around the globe. She uses her platform to advocate against ageism in fashion. Maye credits her active, plant-based diet for helping her maintain a youthful spirit and appearance. Though modeling is her passion, her greatest pride remains in seeing her children grow up to follow their dreams and change the world.
How is Maye Musk Changing the Perspective of Super Models?
TheRachele
Recent Comments
10
That’s great, Rachele!
My wife reads 1 to 2 books a day.
I’m not a big pleasure reader. I much prefer sound and video entertainment! 😎
Frank 🎸
Hi there, Frank.
That is a lot of reading, Reading a great book can be engaging.
Audiobooks are taking the world by storm, too.
Reading all these blogs is about all I can do nowadays.
Rachele🛼
p.s. Let's keep rolling.
I wonder how his successions is going to be? I love Tesla stocks and Space X but I am only able to afford Tesla @$35.00 bucks when it was just starting, had one of my biggest gains on after I bought 300 shares and sold it afterwards on its high.
Now space X is only for accredited investors meaning if you don’t have $200,000 plus all qualifying requirements you cannot buy it.
Nice article on his mother .
See more comments
Interesting, Rachele!
Jeff
Thanks Jeff Bezos (lol).
🤣🤣
🛼^_~