Errol Musk, the 79-year-old father of billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, has been accused of sexually abusing five of his children and stepchildren over a period spanning three decades, according to a report by The New York Times.
The outlet, citing court records, personal letters, emails, social workers, and interviews with family members, alleged that accusations against Errol Musk date back as far as 1993. The earliest claim reportedly came from his then four-year-old stepdaughter, who told relatives that he had touched her inappropriately at their family home.
A decade later, the same stepdaughter alleged she had caught him sniffing her underwear. The report added that several other family members accused him of abusing two of his daughters and a stepson.
According to the Times, three separate law enforcement investigations were launched over the years. Two were closed without action, while the outcome of the third remains unclear.
In comments to The New York Times, Errol Musk dismissed the allegations outright. He described them as “false,” “nonsense,” and attempts by certain family members to extort his eldest son, Elon Musk. “There was no evidence because this is nonsense,” he told the publication, adding that relatives were “putting the children up to say false things.”
Errol Musk, who has nine biological and stepchildren and has been married three times, is said to wield a powerful influence over much of the family, according to the report.
Elon Musk declined to comment on the allegations when approached by the Times. However, the Tesla and SpaceX founder has previously spoken publicly about his troubled relationship with his father.
In a 2017 interview with Rolling Stone, Elon described Errol as having done “almost every evil thing you could possibly think of.” Reflecting on his decision to live with his father at the age of 10, while his siblings remained with their mother, Elon said, “I felt sorry for my father… So I thought, ‘I can be company.’ It was not a good idea.”
He further remarked that his father had “a carefully thought-out plan of evil” and that being in his household was deeply damaging.
The latest allegations come at a time when public attention on Elon Musk’s personal life and family dynamics is already intense. Observers note that Errol’s controversial reputation and strained relationship with his children have long been a subject of speculation.
While Errol Musk has flatly denied all claims, the New York Times report suggests that lingering mistrust and unresolved trauma continue to shape the Musk family’s dynamics.
For now, the accusations remain allegations, with no new legal action confirmed. But the revelations add another layer of complexity to the public understanding of Elon Musk’s difficult upbringing and the challenges he has acknowledged in dealing with his father.
