Who Is Errol Musk? What To Know About Elon Musk's Father
How Errol Musk Became The Focus Of Serious Allegations
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Elon Musk's got a pretty dynamic past, and there's been plenty of individuals out there who've made an impact on who he's become today ... including his father, Errol.
And as it turns out, the entrepreneur's father has a colorful background -- which includes some serious allegations of misconduct on his part.
Here's a look into the background of the father of one of the richest men in the world ... and a set of recently publicized claims about his behavior.
Errol's Been Involved With Various Enterprises
Errol was born in 1946 to a South African father and an English mother with roots in Liverpool.
The businessman's early career saw him switch between enterprises, and he was once listed as a partner in a company focused on engineering, according to the New York Times.
He later moved into politics, and he served as a member of the Pretoria City Council for several years.
Errol eventually had a successful run in the mining business, and claimed he'd done so well he'd been unable to close his personal safe at one point, according to Rolling Stone.
His Family Tree Is Complicated
Errol's first marriage was with model Maye Haldeman, whom he married in 1970, and the two welcomed Elon, as well as his siblings Tosca and Kimbal, over the course of their union, which ended in 1979. She alleged he'd been abusive towards her during their marriage, although he denied the claims.
His second marriage was with Sue Wilson, although the pair's union was reportedly brief.
Errol later married Heide-Mari Bezuidenhout sometime around 1992, and they welcomed a pair of daughters over the course of their marriage. He also became a stepfather to her daughter Jana and two sons, whose father died in a car accident.
Although Errol and Bezuidenhout eventually divorced, they remarried around 1999, and ended up divorcing in 2005.
He Welcomed Two Children With His Stepdaughter
Errol's estrangement from his family's been partially attributed to his relationship with Jana -- with whom he fathered a child, Elliot, in 2017.
The businessman spoke about his relationship with her in an interview with The Times, where he claimed he didn't consider her his stepdaughter, as she'd apparently been raised away from their family.
He then stated they reconnected after she broke up with a boyfriend, and expressed "one thing led to another" before their son was born.
Errol described both himself and Jana, from whom he later separated, as "lost, lonely people" and claimed Elliot's birth was part of either "God’s plan or nature’s plan." He's since claimed they had another child in 2019, although she's alleged only one of her kids is his.
His Relationship With Elon Has Been Tense
Errol and Elon haven't always seen eye-to-eye, and the entrepreneur described his father as a "horrible" person while they lived together during his high school years in his 2023 biography.
The businessman's father, as well as Bezuidenhout and their children, moved to Malibu after Elon bought them a house in 2002, although Errol soon fell out with his relatives and returned to South Africa, where he currently resides.
He eventually became financially dependent on both Elon and Kimbal, although neither of the two were particularly happy with the situation.
Elon later spoke negatively about his father during his interview with Rolling Stone, and claimed Errol had done "almost every evil thing you could possibly think of."
Errol's Been Accused of Sexual Abuse
The earliest allegation of sexual abuse on Errol's part dates back to 1993, when Jana told relatives he'd allegedly touched her inappropriately when she was just 4 years old. She made another accusation a decade later, when she claimed she'd found him sniffing her dirty underwear, according to the New York Times.
His former stepdaughter claimed he'd later kissed her and stuck his tongue down her throat when she was 21, although he alleged she'd "inappropriately kissed" him while he was sleeping. She later filed an application for an interim protection order and claimed he'd also abused his two daughters with Bezuidenhout, as well as his stepson, without providing details.
Errol was accused of further abuse in 2022, when his son spoke to family members and claimed his father had groped his behind, although the businessman described the claim as "nonsense."
Although several investigations into his alleged behavior were opened in both California and South Africa, they were all eventually closed, and Errol's never been charged with or convicted of a crime. He's also denied all allegations of abuse on his part.
