In 2019, Elon Musk confronted the Twitter talking point about his father's supposed emerald mine head on, writing, "He didn't own an emerald mine & I worked my way through college, ending. Fortier, Alexander. He is the father of business magnate and billionaire Elon Musk, restaurateur Kimbal Musk, and filmmaker Tosca Musk. Elon clarified that his father was never physically abusive toward him and that he once tried to mend the relationship by inviting his father to live with him in the United States. ", Inoneof the tweets from Elon in which he refuted the emerald mine rumor, he linked to an article that had been published on March 9, 2021. On Feb. 23, 2018, Business Insider SA published a story with the headline, "'We had so much money we couldn't even close our safe': Elon Musk's Dad tells BI about the family's insanely casual attitude to wealth." Not all the tweets were supportive of Elon. On their way to England, Errol and his copilot got word that their original flight plan was going to cost a lot of money. Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Elon Musk's father planned to fly a plane from South Africa to England and sell it once they got there. Errol Musk, the family's patriarch, is in the news after confirming he fathered a second secret love child with his stepdaughter, Jana Bezuidenhout, 35. Business Insider South Africa, 22 Feb. 2018, https://www.businessinsider.co.za/elon-musk-sells-the-family-emeralds-in-new-york-2018-2. Elon and Kimbal allegedly sold 2 emeralds: one worth $800 and another worth $1200. It was also shared on Reddit.com. Although Tesla stands out as a groundbreaking company at the forefront of the electric car revolution, its standard operating procedure at the Tesla factory is pre-civil-rights-era race discrimination, Vaughn wrote in his complaint, according to a Daily Beast report. However, any reconciliation was apparently short-lived. "There was just stacks of money and he paid me out, 80,000, it was a huge amount of money." Several respondents on social media disputed the emerald mine and privileged-lifestyle story, defending Musks intelligence and questioning the intelligence of the person who started the thread. For a while, I thought things were so obvious that everyone must know this.". ", She added, "He was very rich, but he made sure I had nothing. Elon tweeted that he had $100,000 debt after college. All rights reserved. Musk's father, Errol, an engineer, married Maye when she was 22, and Musk was born shortly . "I said, 'Oh, all right'. In a 2017 Rolling Stone cover story, the Tesla CEO described his childhood and revealed that he moved in with his father at eight years old after his parents split. Errol made money by consulting and developing properties, Forbes reported. As Arnold noted, the headline for this story was later corrected more than two years after it was published, sometime around late July or early August 2020,according to page captures from the Internet Archive. "She wasn't planned," Errol said of his youngest child. "Elon Musk Is the Hero America Deserves." So we went to this guy's prefab and he opened his safe and there was just stacks of money and he paid me out, 80,000, it was a huge amount of money, he said. Errol Musk (born 1946) is a South African electromechanical engineer, pilot, sailor, consultant, and property developer who was once a co-owner of a Zambian emerald mine near Lake Tanganyika . The story included reporting of Elon's denials that the emerald mine had provided any seed money for the wealth he would later accumulate. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. He didnt own an emerald mine & I worked my way through college, ending up ~$100k in student debt. Twitter, https://twitter.com/elonmusk/. He has a net worth of $2 million and is living quite comfortably. According to the Internet Archive, the article was still available months after it was published, onSept. 1, 2014, but was gone by Sept. 18. Elon Musk addressed the recent social storm when claims related his familys emerald mines in apartheid-South Africa resurfaced online. In 2018, Errol Musk interviewed Business Insider South Africa, where he told a story about bartering his way into partial ownership of an emerald mine in Zambia. Almost every crime you can possibly think of, he has done, he continued. His children were reportedly influenced by his liberal political views. There was a shooting in the living room, and I guess his father shot them dead. Harris Goe Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave, What's next for Buster Murdaugh after dad's murder conviction, life sentence, Murdaugh son collapsed outside court after sitting stone-faced through dad's 6-week murder trial: source, Murderer Alex Murdaugh shaves head for latest mugshot after learning his fate, Kelly Osbourne posts first photo of baby son as he hangs out with uncle Jack, Greys Anatomy alum Isaiah Washington retiring from acting: The haters have won, Madonna watches new boyfriend Joshua Poppers fight in New York City, Kellyanne Conway and George Conway to divorce. He also added, "'Self-made billionaires' are a myth." "Elon Musk: The College Years." [21] As of 2022, Musk and Jana Bezuidenhout were no longer living together. In 2017, Errol told Rolling Stone that while he has never intentionally hurt or threatened anyone, he once shot and killed a group of burglars at his home in Johannesburg, though he says he was cleared of all charges because he acted in self-defense. In a February 2018 interview with Business Insider South Africa, Musk's father said he did own half share in an emerald mine in Zambia. "I Talked to Elon Musk about Journalism and the Blood Emeralds Story." Meet. Elon Musk's father, Errol Musk, remains a mysterious figure, and there is still no common consensus how his work or his wealth during Elon's childhood. odakyu11. We reached out to Reich to ask if he could provide evidence of his assertion, but did not receive a response before this story was published. One thing most of us can agree on is that there is a more nuanced conversation to be had about how Musk specifically and South Africas white population in general, even those who didnt own mines benefitted from apartheid. Vance, Ashlee. A common story about Musk on social media is that his father owned part of an emerald mine, providing a bedrock of wealth that buoyed Elon up to his current level of success. [23], In 1998, Musk shot and killed three out of six or seven burglars who forced their way into his Johannesburg home and who opened fire upon detection.[24]. Elon has himself admitted that his father has a very high IQ and is brilliant at engineering.. Later, on Sept. 20, 2022, hecalledRobert Reich "an idiot and a liar" for tweeting a video that pushed the emerald mine wealth rumor as fact. Kaizer Chiefs to sign more Stellenbosch players? While the story did mention the family once lived in a popular suburb, the article said nothing of the emerald mine providing wealth to the son when he moved to Canada in 1988, or to the U.S. in 1992. Friend, Tad. Worked on my Moms cousins farm in Saskatchewan & a lumber mill in Vancouver. Errols other children we also shocked and uncomfortable about the surprise pregnancy. Errol told Business Insider South Africa that he once owned half of an emerald mine in Zambia, which he claimed to have purchased on a whim. As a child, Elon had a close relationship with his father and grew up prosperous in Pretoria. To summarize Arnold's story would be difficult, as it contained a considerable amount of data and analysis. For what it's worth, my reporting, based on conversations with hundreds of people, confirms Musk's story. Bridges to Italy tweeted, Yeah, hes not that bright, just like the guy who started this thread. "But I mean, we were living together. Ask him." [1] His father was a South African veteran of World War II and his mother was British. Errol and Heide had two children of their own, but he also helped raise Jana. He said, They just walked into Tiffanys and said, Do you want to buy some emeralds? And they sold two emeralds: one was for $800, and I think the other one was for $1,200. Black Americans Have the Highest Mortality Rates But Lowest Levels of Life Insurance If I could have another child I would. After the end of the article, a note was added that read, "BI SA reached out to Elon for confirmation of the tale, but he did not respond. [13] After engaging in extra-marital affairs,[4] Errol and Maye divorced in 1979, and both sons moved in with their father. Meanwhile, Elon has himself admitted that his father has a very high IQ and is brilliant at engineering. In 2017, he also told Rolling Stone that Errol was the youngest person to get a professional engineers qualification in South Africa., Im naturally good at engineering thats because I inherited it from my father, the worlds richest man stated. According to the Twitter flag, Musk claimed in 2014 to Forbes that he had an emerald mine in Zambia. Journalism strengthens democracy. ", According to the story, Errol said that Elon "once walked the streets of New York with emeralds in his pocket." I couldnt even afford a 2nd PC at Zip2, so programmed at night & website only worked during day.. In December 2019, Elon denied the emerald mine-and-lavish-lifestyle story on Twitter, saying it was a lie. . The 76-year-old is most notable for being Elons estranged father, with the pair famously falling out several years ago. 2014, https://www.newspapers.com/image/878211644/. He was only physically violent when I was very young., He also said, You have no idea about how bad. On March 25, 2021, Elon Musktweetedthat the emerald mine inheritance rumor was false, and that he had arrived by himself in Canada in 1989 "with ~CA$2,500." [15][16] At the time of their marriage, Jana Bezuidenhout was only four years old and lived together with them. People.Com, 7 Nov. 2022, https://people.com/human-interest/who-is-errol-musk-elon-musk-father/. Errol told Business Insider South Africa that he once owned half of an emerald mine in Zambia, which he claimed to have purchased on a whim. [10] She gave birth to three children; Elon Reeve Musk born on 28 June 1971, Kimbal Reeve Musk born on 20 September 1972, and Tosca Musk born on 20 July 1974. Elon also denied that Errol invested in the company. "They were confronted by it every day," he said. FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT ERROL MUSK 1. ", "You have no idea about how bad. ", Five days later on Feb. 28, Business Insider SA published a second article with the headline, "Elon Musk's family owns an emerald mine in Zambia here's the fascinating story of how they came to own it.". He's the son of Maye Musk, a model and dietitian from Canada, and Errol Musk, a South African electromechanical engineer, pilot, and sailor. The story also included the same information from Elon's tweets where he said again that he had "ended up with $100,000 of student debt. [22] He is estranged from his son Elon. In the mid-1980s, the family profited handsomely from Errol Musk's purchasing of an emerald mine, after selling their airplane for 80,000 (the equivalent of 320,000 today). A Twitter user claimed in December 2019 that Elon Musk's privileged upbringing included his father, Errol Musk, who owned an emerald mine [and] who could bankroll his education. However, the Tesla CEO begged to differ. Almost every evil thing you could possibly think of, he has done. Its unclear how old Elon was at the time and whether he was even present is in dispute. Errol and Jana welcomed a son, Elliot "Rushi" Rush, in 2017 and a daughter in 2019. R/EnoughMuskSpam via Reddit.com, 5 Dec. 2019, www.reddit.com/r/EnoughMuskSpam/comments/e6j76f/his_family_stole_an_emerald_mine/. According to Ashlee Vances 2017 biography of the Tesla founder, The Musk family owned one of the biggest houses in Pretoria thanks to the success of Errols engineering business, which included large projects such as office buildings, retail complexes, residential subdivisions, and an air force base.. Here's what to know about Elon Musk's estranged father, Errol Musk. I've tried everything. The rumor of the "apartheid emerald mine" received a spike in shares around the time that Elon Musk completed his takeover of Twitter in late 2022. Are broader financial markets in a massive speculative bubble? He continued: He grabbed some weapons, as you could see on the cameras there were some intruders that were coming over the walls, and they were also armed. " he told the outlet. Elon Musk does not care about Black people.Example after example after example. [11][5] Maye has stated that Errol beat her. It was a lucrative decision. Errol Musk (born 1946) is a South African electromechanical engineer, pilot, sailor, consultant, and property developer who was once a co-owner of a Zambian emerald mine near Lake Tanganyika. Zip2's purpose was to provide "a searchable business directory that could be described as an internet version of the yellow pages telephone directory with maps included," according to Britannica.com. The same story appeared to have also been published the day before with the headline, "A teenage Elon Musk once casually sold his father's emeralds to Tiffany & Co. while his dad was sleeping. Answer these 2 simple questions & WIN R1000 in cash! More answers and details are available in Arnold's article. Jain, Sanya. The child, a boy named Elliot Rush, is now 5 years old. "Elon Musk's Family Once Owned an Emerald Mine in Zambia Here's the Fascinating Story of How They Came to Own It." He is the father of business magnate and billionaire Elon Musk, restaurateur Kimbal Musk, and filmmaker Tosca Musk. This article is actually accurate: https://t.co/eVpCX9V1NB. Standing with the cash in his hand, Errol was made another offer he couldnt refuse: Would he like to buy half an emerald mine for half of his new riches? This is a pretty awful lie. Beyond that, we were unable to find any evidence that showed money generated from his father's involvement in the mine helped Elon build his wealth in North America. ---. Instead, they focus on describing how hard he worked in his teenage years and early adulthood, how much debt he accrued by attending college and his disdain for his father. 2021, https://savingjournalism.substack.com/p/i-talked-to-elon-musk-about-journalism. Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future. "So we decided to head back to Lake Tanganyika from where we were, I think we were in Djibouti.". However, again, the story was at least partially unavailable on that website, too. I couldnt even afford a 2nd PC at Zip2, so programmed at night & website only worked during day. In an interview with The Sun, Errol recalled the attack, claiming that he was confronted by a group of seven men inside his home and shot back at the intruders after they opened fire. According to media reports Errol reportedly owned an emerald mine in Zambia near Lake Tanganyika which enabled his family to live in luxury at the time. The emerald mine story, reported in 2018 in Business Insider, tells how, in the mid-1980s, Errol acquired a half-share in a Zambian emerald mine, which would help to fund his familys lavish lifestyle of yachts, skiing holidays, and expensive computers.. "Elon Musk's Vision of an Electric-Car Future." His tweet is now viral with over 9.1 million views. The Associated Press, 20 July 2021, https://apnews.com/article/business-science-3546262d41f4c84763aa15339f642a5a. Instead, we will concentrate on the two Business Insider South Africa articles mentioned by Arnold that appeared to provide the roots of the "apartheid emerald mine" rumor. ", Though he claimed Elon and Kimbal were upset with him for fathering a child with a woman they felt was "their sister," Errol told The Sun, "The only thing we are on Earth for is to reproduce. This is going to sound slightly crazy, but my father also had a share in an Emerald mine in Zambia. Rumor is Errol Musk owned an emerald mine. While in Djibouti, he and his co-pilot sold their plane to some Italian nationals. According to the story, "When [Elon] was elevenabout the time that he sold his first piece of software, a video game called Blastar Musk told his mother that he was going to move back to Pretoria to live with his father, Errol, an electrical engineer who would later own an auto-parts store and a share in an emerald mine.". Offers may be subject to change without notice. ", For his part, Errol told the Daily Mail that Elon "needs to grow up" and "get over himself," adding, "I'm not going to hit back. To me, he sure is trying to make the world better right now, and thats the best thing he could do with his fathers money. Regardless of your opinion of him, he is aself-made billionaire. Clash's same 2014 interview was also republished by AskMen.com on Jan. 2, 2015. TheSouthAfrican.com is all about South Africa and the stories that affect South Africans, wherever they are in the world. Errol Musk, the familys patriarch, is in the news after confirming he fathered a second secret love child with his stepdaughter, Jana Bezuidenhout, 35. The 76-year-old hasnt ruled out having more children, saying: The only thing we are on Earth for is to reproduce..