Contrary to what many believe, Elon Musk isn’t technically the founder of Tesla. That title belongs to Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. Musk’s significant investment in the company and his role as CEO have led to the misconception. However, what’s certain is that the 52-year-old is now a father of 12, with the latest addition to his family arriving recently.
Elon Musk has fathered several children, typically keeping them away from the public eye. So, it came as a shock when news broke that he quietly welcomed his 12th child earlier this year. Despite this revelation, the child’s gender and name have not been shared with the public.
While Musk is known for his privacy, he has denied trying to keep this latest birth secret. “The idea of ‘secretly fathered‘ is simply false,” Musk clarified. “Our friends and family are fully aware. Just because we didn’t issue a press release, which would be bizarre, doesn’t make it a secret.”
The child’s mother is Shivon Zilis, the director of special projects at Neuralink Corp. While Musk didn’t found Tesla, he did establish Neuralink in June 2016. The company aims to develop brain-computer interfaces, though its first neural chip implant attempt this year wasn’t successful. The team continues to work on overcoming these challenges.
In the meantime, Musk enjoys a quiet family life away from the media spotlight. His fatherhood journey began in 2002 with the birth of his first son, Nevada Alexander, who tragically passed away at ten weeks old due to SIDS. Despite this heartbreaking loss, Musk and his then-wife, Justine Wilson, welcomed twins two years later. He also shares children with Canadian musician Claire Elise Boucher, known as GRIMES.
In 2021, Musk and Shivon Zilis welcomed twins named Azure and Strider. Some of Musk’s children have been born through IVF and surrogacy. Over the years, Musk has made headlines not only for his unique approach to naming his children but also for his ventures with wealth and his role as an “advisor” to Donald Trump. Lately, many have joked about whether Musk is competing with Nick Cannon for having the most children.
