Errol Musk: Father of Elon Musk – Biography & Facts

Ask someone to name Elon Musk’s father, and you’ll likely get a shrug or a vague guess, but behind the world’s most famous entrepreneur is a figure whose own life story is a tangle of wealth, controversy, and strained family ties. This article separates verifiable facts from the lore surrounding Errol Musk, drawing on public records, interviews, and biographical sources.

Full name: Errol Graham Musk ·
Born: 25 May 1946 ·
Nationality: South African ·
Occupation: Engineer, businessman, politician ·
Known for: Father of Elon Musk ·
Children: 5

Eight key facts, one pattern: Errol Musk’s public record is thin on numbers but thick on narrative tension—between wealth that may have been real and a legacy defined by family fractures.

Was Errol Musk rich before Elon?

What was Errol Musk’s net worth?

• Errol Musk’s exact net worth has never been publicly confirmed. Wikipedia notes he was “a wealthy engineer and property developer” before Elon’s success.
• Maye Musk’s account of the 1979 divorce lists assets including two homes, a yacht, a plane, five luxury cars, and a truck. Wikipedia cites this as medium-confidence evidence of substantial wealth.
• Errol himself has said in interviews that he had “very substantial money” during Elon’s teenage years, referencing emerald dealings. Wikipedia.

A 2025 profile from Democracy Now! tied Errol’s fortune primarily to investments in emerald mines in Zambia.

How did Errol Musk make his money?

• His business portfolio included mechanical engineering consulting, property development, and emerald trading. Wikipedia.
• He owned a share in an emerald mine in Zambia during the 1980s. Wikipedia.
• The narrative that Elon Musk’s early financing came from family emerald wealth has been repeated in media, though the size and source remain disputed. Democracy Now!.

“He had very substantial money during Elon’s teenage years.”

— Errol Musk, cited by Wikipedia

The implication: whether Errol was truly rich or merely comfortable before Elon’s success is less relevant than the perception that he was—a perception that shaped both family dynamics and public myth.

Did Errol Musk have children with his stepdaughter?

Who is Errol Musk’s stepdaughter?

• Jana Bezuidenhout is the daughter of Heide Bezuidenhout, whom Errol married in the early 1990s. Wikipedia – Musk family.
• Jana was raised in Errol Musk’s household from childhood. Wikipedia – Musk family.
• A 2023 biography excerpt reported that Elon Musk worried his father was “uncomfortably attentive” to a stepdaughter when she was a minor. Business Insider.

How many children did Errol Musk have with his stepdaughter?

• In March 2018, reports confirmed Errol Musk fathered a child with his adult stepdaughter Jana Bezuidenhout. South China Morning Post.
• Later reporting said the couple had two children together. South China Morning Post.

“It’s completely normal. You have stepchildren, you fall in love with them.”

— Errol Musk, quoted by South China Morning Post

The pattern: a family scandal that moved from private to public in 2018, drawing international attention because of the power dynamics—a stepfather who had raised a child from infancy fathering her children as an adult.

Why this matters: the stepdaughter relationship sits atop a broader set of allegations. A 2025 New York Times investigation reported allegations that Errol Musk had sexually abused five children and stepchildren since 1993, with the earliest dating to that year involving a then four-year-old stepdaughter. Errol has not publicly responded to these specific allegations.

Do Elon and Errol get along?

Does Elon Musk talk to his father?

• Elon Musk has described his father as “a terrible human being” in a 2017 Rolling Stone interview, as cited by Wikipedia.
• Errol has stated he supports Elon’s ventures and remains proud. Wikipedia.
• The relationship is widely described as strained and estranged. Wikipedia.

Why is Elon Musk estranged from his father?

• Elon has cited his father’s emotional abuse during childhood as a primary reason for the estrangement. Wikipedia.
• Maye Musk has described the marriage as abusive. Wikipedia.
• The 2025 NYT investigation added new layers to this picture. The New York Times.

“He is a terrible human being.”

— Elon Musk, 2017 Rolling Stone interview, as cited by Wikipedia

The catch: the estrangement is not just emotional—it’s become a public relations asset for both men, each using the other to reinforce their own version of the Musk family origin story.

Who is Elon Musk’s biological father?

What is Errol Musk’s background?

• Errol Graham Musk was born on 25 May 1946 in Pretoria, Transvaal, South Africa. Wikipedia.
• He is of South African nationality. Wikipedia.
• His father was a South African army officer. Wikipedia.

What did Errol Musk do for a living?

• He worked as an engineer and businessman. Wikipedia.
• He served on the Pretoria City Council as an independent representative for Sunnyside in 1972. Wikipedia – Musk family.
• He fathered three children with Maye Musk: Elon (born 1971), Kimbal (born 1972), and Tosca (born 1974). Wikipedia.

The verdict: Errol Musk was a mid-tier professional—engineer, city councilor, property developer—whose financial status in South Africa’s apartheid-era economy put him above the average, but whose real notoriety came not from wealth but from the family dysfunctions that produced the world’s richest man.

What is Errol Musk’s family and personal life like?

How many children does Errol Musk have?

• Five total: three with Maye Musk (Elon, Kimbal, Tosca) and two with his stepdaughter Jana Bezuidenhout. Wikipedia.

Who is Errol Musk’s wife?

• First wife: Maye Musk (married 1970, divorced 1979). Wikipedia.
• Second wife: Heide Bezuidenhout (married early 1990s, divorced). Wikipedia – Musk family.

Is Errol Musk still alive?

• Yes, as of 2025. Wikipedia.

What is Errol Musk’s nationality?

• South African. Wikipedia.

What is Errol Musk’s religion?

• Not publicly known. Wikipedia.

Errol Musk’s personal life is a study in contrasts: the father of a global icon, the subject of serious abuse allegations, and the survivor of a family narrative that he himself has tried to reshape.

— Editorial assessment

The pattern across Errol Musk’s personal life is one of stark contradictions: the father of a global icon, the subject of serious allegations, and a figure who has tried to reshape his own narrative.

For a deeper look into the strained relationship and family background, see Errol Musks biography and family.

Frequently asked questions

For the public piecing together the Musk family story, the implication is clear: Errol Musk is less a supporting character in his son’s biography and more a figure whose own actions—and the allegations against him—demand a separate, more serious accounting. The emerald mine narrative may be a side note; the family court documents may be the main text.

Related reading

• Sofia Coppola: Filmmaker, Family Ties & Relationships Explained – Another story of family legacy and public perception.
• Gloria Vanderbilt: Net Worth, Jeans & Family Legacy – How wealth and family narrative intertwine in American culture.