Errol Musk is again drawing widespread scrutiny after making provocative remarks about race and demographics, adding new momentum to long-standing questions about his personal history, including the highly publicized relationship with his former stepdaughter. The resurfaced attention comes as Musk, father of Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, participates in a CNN documentary examining misinformation around so-called "white genocide," where his comments have ignited backlash in the United States and the United Kingdom.
In footage filmed for MisinfoNation: White Genocide, Musk argued that the United States is "doomed" if white people become a minority and added, "What is it, you want to go back to the jungle?" He went on to cite South Africa as an example, claiming he never witnessed white-minority rule oppressing Black Africans and dismissing systemic racism as "nonsense." The remarks immediately prompted criticism online and in political commentary circles, particularly given Musk's prior controversies and strained relationships within his family.
The renewed attention has also placed a harsh spotlight back on the abuse allegations that have followed Musk for decades. Reports indicate multiple accusations of misconduct involving children and stepchildren, including claims dating as far back as the early 1990s. Three investigations were reportedly opened; two closed without charges, and the outcome of a third case remains unresolved. Musk has consistently denied every accusation, insisting they were intended to damage him or target his son Elon.
Public curiosity about his personal life remains intense, largely because of the unusual family dynamics at the center of the Musk household. Public records confirm that Musk fathered two children with his former stepdaughter, Jana Bezuidenhout-one born in 2017 and another several years later. Jana was an adult at the time of both pregnancies. Musk has acknowledged the children in previous interviews, characterizing the first pregnancy as unplanned.
The most persistent question-whether Musk ever married his former stepdaughter-remains unanswered in public discourse, though documentation suggests a clear conclusion. Multiple fact-checking outlets have found no evidence of any marriage license or legal record, and Musk himself has denied that a marriage occurred. Although he has at times rejected describing Jana as his stepdaughter in adulthood, she became his stepchild legally when he married her mother, Heide Bezuidenhout.
Errol Musk's background continues to inform public interpretation of his comments and behavior. Born in Pretoria in 1946, he built a career in engineering and business before marrying Maye Musk in 1970 and having three children-Elon, Kimbal and Tosca-before their 1979 divorce. His later marriage to Bezuidenhout brought Jana into the family, creating the complicated structure that would later fuel public controversy.
