Elon Musk’s Wealth and Background: A Closer Look
Elon Musk, known as the richest person on the planet, has frequently described himself as a self-made businessman.
But there’s growing debate, particularly among South Africans and Americans, about whether he truly built his fortune from scratch.
Some argue that his upbringing in South Africa was far from humble and that it’s rooted in what they consider “white privilege.”
Musk’s Story of a Modest Upbringing
In a 2023 tweet, Elon Musk reflected on his childhood and credited his father, Errol Musk, an engineer and property developer, with teaching him the basics of physics, engineering, and construction.
However, he emphasized that his success wasn’t handed to him.
Musk wrote, “I grew up in a lower, transitioning to upper, middle-income situation, but did not have a happy childhood.
I haven’t inherited anything ever from anyone, nor has anyone given me a large financial gift.”
Musk left South Africa at 17 with little more than a backpack and a suitcase filled with books.
His next stop was Canada, where he took out a hefty loan of $100,000 (about R1.8 million) to fund his education. Eventually, Musk made his way to the U.S.,
where he became the founder of groundbreaking companies like Tesla, SpaceX, and PayPal.
In 2022, he made headlines again by purchasing Twitter for a staggering $44 billion, rebranding it as X.
Errol Musk’s Take on the Situation
Elon’s father, Errol Musk, recently sat down for an interview on the Podcast & Chill show with MacG, where he set the record straight about some of the public perceptions surrounding his son’s early life.
One of the most notable points Errol addressed was a supposed falling out between him and Elon in 2016, when Elon distanced himself from his father’s support of Donald Trump.
At the time, Elon identified as a Democrat, but since then, his views have shifted, and many now see him as one of Trump’s biggest supporters.
During the interview, Errol revealed that Elon, along with his siblings Kimbal and Tosca, grew up in a comfortable, affluent environment.
This included private jet trips, luxury cars, and access to large sums of cash stored in their father’s safe.
Errol was an in-demand property developer at the time, with a wealth of assets like cars, homes, and even a private jet.
The Emerald Mine Controversy
Errol also claimed that Elon’s statements about his family’s wealth were misleading.
Specifically, he addressed Elon’s denial of knowing about the family’s involvement in Zambian emerald mining.
According to Errol, Elon was fully aware of the emerald business and had even visited the mine with him.
“He had an axe to grind,” Errol said, explaining why Elon might want to distance himself from this part of their history. Errol further added that Elon had once taken some stones to Tiffany’s in New York.
So, Was Elon Musk Born into Wealth?
The question of whether Elon Musk was truly “self-made” or born into wealth is still up for debate.
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