It might not come as a surprise to learn that business magnate Elon Musk and popstar Grimes have had some seriously questionable parenting moments. The unlikely couple had an on-again-off-again relationship between 2018 to 2021, having welcomed two children together, both naturally and via a surrogate, in that time.
Elon’s no stranger to causing controversy, and apparently, he’s just as remorseless when it comes to his parenting style. Likewise, Grimes likes to do things her own way, even if it means doing things differently from most moms out there. Take a look at some of their bizarre parenting rules, methods, and controversies that are dividing public opinion.
Grimes and Elon Opted For Extremely Unusual Names For Their Kids
Elon and Grimes unconventional parenting style was made explicit from May 2020 when they announced the unusual baby name they had chosen for their son and first child together, X Æ A-12. Legally, they had to change his name slightly to X Æ A-Xii, to comply with Californian law as numbers aren’t permitted. Grimes revealed that you pronounce his name “X A.I. Archangel,” but that you can call him X for short.
Grimes explained their reasons behind the name on Twitter: ” ‘X’ is the unknown variable, ‘Æ’ is my elven spelling of Ai (love &/or Artificial intelligence), A-12 = precursor to SR-17 (our favorite aircraft). No weapons, no defenses, just speed. Great in battle, but non-violent.” Grimes and Elon also had a daughter in December 2021, this time around using a surrogate, but they called it quits on their relationship months before she was born. They named her Exa Dark Sideræl, pronounced “sigh-deer-ee-el,” but nicknamed her Y.
Grimes Doesn’t Let Their Son Call Her Mom
When Grimes and Elon’s son was one year old, the Canadian singer revealed that she doesn’t let their baby boy call him “mom,” “mommy,” or “mother.” Her real name is Claire Elise Boucher, and she explained that she prefers when her only child calls her by her first name instead. Which, apparently, he gladly does.
Speaking to Vogue magazine, she stated that “I don’t even know why I get disgusted when they call me “mother,” I like motherhood, I respect it, I just can’t, I can’t identify with it. It’s weird.” To add to that, she claimed not to even need to tell her son not to call her “mom.” Rather, his high level of perception allowed him to pick up on Grimes’ discomfort with the term.
Elon Wants His Son To Be His Mini-Me
While being the child of a billionaire entrepreneur definitely has its benefits, it also comes with some big expectations. The public assumed that Elon had big plans in store for his young son with the Canadian singer, but she removed the mystery and all but confirmed it in April 2022 in an interview with Vanity Fair.
Referring to her son being in the public eye, Grimes stated: “X is just there,” adding, “I mean, I think Musk really sees him as a protégé and draws him to everything. This is his situation.” Indeed, their infant son has been on several public outings with his famous father, whereas Elon’s older children have generally kept a low profile.
Grimes Shows Her Son Violent Movies That Definitely Aren’t Meant For Kids
Grimes definitely has an unconventional outlook on parenting when it comes to watching movies. In an interview with The New York Times, she revealed that she watches movies with her son X, who she refers to as Little X, that aren’t meant for babies. Naturally, fans weren’t too happy to hear it.
“I’ve watched Apocalypse Now and stuff with my baby,” she revealed, explaining that “He’s into radical art. Like, he just actually is, and I don’t think it’s problematic to engage with them on that level.” Grimes mentioned that X does “have taste. They definitely like some things. They don’t like other things. They fully have opinions.”
Elon Expects His Son To Get His Education From the Internet
Elon revealed during a live interview that he has some unconventional opinions when it comes to getting a good education. Talking to an audio app called Clubhouse, he explained that he believes the internet holds all the information a young child would need: “Well, in my observation, my kids mostly learned on YouTube and Reddit.”
Elon continued. “I assume there were lessons too, but judging by the amount of time they spent on the internet, it seemed like most of their education actually came from the internet.” Previously at a satellite conference in 2020, Elon had claimed that college was just a series of “annoying homework” and that “colleges are mostly about having fun and proving you can do your homework, but they’re not about learning.”
Grimes Revealed That They Are Opting for a Gender-Neutral Parenting Style
Very shortly after X was born, Grimes went on a Youtube live stream where she told her viewers that she and Elon were opting for a gender-neutral parenting style for baby X Æ A-12. At the time, Grimes didn’t reveal the sex of the baby, but Elon announced that they had had a baby boy on Twitter.
“I don’t want to gender them in case that’s not how they feel in their life,” Grimes stated in the live stream in May 2020. Gender-neutral parenting entails raising a child without gender and without subjecting them to girl or boy stereotypes, instead allowing them to find and choose their own identity over time.
All of Elon’s Kids Must Read Twice As Much as They Play Video Games
Musk loved video games as a child, so much so that it catapulted him into developing his programming skills, which in turn led him to where he is today. He wants his kids to be just as keen about video games as he is, but he has a stern rule about letting them play too much on their Xbox.
Elon spoke to author Ashley Vance for a biography on the entrepreneur, titled Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, prior to its 2015 release. In an interview, Elon explained how he ensures that his kids spend twice as much time reading as they do playing video games so that they don’t overdo screen time.
Grimes Has Taken to Writing Songs With Baby X To Help Him Develop Creatively
Grimes revealed that she has already started collaborating musically with baby X after feeling inspired by him as well as wanting him to develop creatively. “She explained that, “I think having a baby was a big kind of like rebirth for me, like artistically,” the singer-songwriter told Vogue magazine.
Grimes shared one of X’s creatively enlightened moments on Twitter, writing: “My ten month old baby just turned on my teenage engineering keyboard, built a unique patch and made a loop and then smiled at me!” She then shared a video on Instagram of baby X playing on a £1,200 OP-1 synth, as the words “Did you make a loop? You’re so smart!” can be heard in the background.
Elon Wants His Kids To Overcome Struggles To Better Set Them Up for Entrepreneurial Success
Elon is terribly aware of how the hardship in his life made him who he is today, and because of that, he fears that his privileged kids won’t have overcome enough struggles to achieve great success as adults. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, it’s a great worry for him that his kids won’t measure up. “I had a terrible upbringing,” Elon asserted at a 2011 awards ceremony hosted by the Churchill Club.
Elon continued, “I had a terrible upbringing. I had a lot of adversity growing up. One thing I worry about with my kids is they don’t face enough adversity.” He described how he was bullied until he was 15 years old, after which he emigrated from South Africa to Canada at 17 without any financial support from his parents.
Raising Their Family as a “Semi-Separated” Couple
After three years together, Grimes and Elon revealed their plans to co-parent with one another in the wake of their break up. Elon revealed, “Grimes and I are, I’d say, probably semi-separated. We weren’t seeing each other that much, and I think this is to some degree a long-term thing, because what she needs to do is mostly in LA or touring, and my work is mostly in remote locations like this,” referencing his development facility Starbase, Texas.
Elon also explained that he and Grimes were on good terms, saw each other frequently, still love each other, and at that time, Grimes and X were living with him in Texas. Fans also speculated that there was a complicated relationship status between the two when Grimes was seen walking down the red carpet alone at the 2021 Met Gala, before meeting Elon inside later.
All of Elon’s Kids Are Health Nuts Who Want To Shop at Whole Foods
Elon doesn’t like to reveal much when it comes to how he’s raising his children. But the public was given a sneak peek into the lives of his young kids when they went to visit a friend’s house and were under the care of their friend’s nanny. She opened a TikTok account, in which she explained her impression of three of Elon’s children.
According to their friend’s nanny, all of Elon’s kids are super health-conscious. “We all went to dinner at Whole Foods. These children took great care of their health at such a young age. I was expecting Johnny Rockets or something, but they said, ‘No, let’s go to Whole Foods.’ ” She also stated that kids were “well mannered,” so it seems as though Elon keeps them in check.
Plans To Have More Children Together Despite Not Being in a Relationship
Grimes revealed the reason why she and Elon opted for surrogacy when it came to their second child, explaining that she suffered complications in her first pregnancy that she didn’t want repeated. But six months into their surrogate’s pregnancy, the pair decided to split. Confusingly, Grimes told Vanity Fair shortly after that “I would probably refer to him as my boyfriend, but we’re very fluid.”
After they decided to part ways romantically, they agreed to live in separate houses for the most part, but retained that they were still very much “best friends.” And not only that, but Grimes admitted that the former couple still intend on having more children together, presumably, also via surrogacy. “We’ve always wanted at least three or four,” she stated.
Elon Musk’s Kids Go to the Super-exclusive School He Opened
Elon founded the Ad Astra school in Southern California, which translates from Latin to “to the stars.” All of his children attend this school, which teaches kids in the style that he sees fit. According to him, Ad Astra doesn’t follow the traditional grading structure seen in other schools, instead choosing to place more emphasis on critical thinking and problem-solving.
In an interview with a Chinese TV program in 2015 that has since been removed, Musk stated that while he hated attending school, his kids love the way they learn at Ad Astra. Apparently, the by-invitation-only school caters to the individual child’s strengths, encouraging critical thinking through problem-solving.
Elon Believes in a Hands-On Approach and Takes His Kids Camping Every Year
With Elon spending up to 90 hours a week working, he’s gotten used to taking his kids to work with him when it’s his turn to parent. Apparently, Elon regularly brings his kids to his factories in California, having once stated in an interview, “I’m a pretty good dad. I have the kids for slightly more than half the week and spend a fair bit of time with them. I also take them with me when I go out of town.”
He even takes his kids on an annual camping trip to teach them important hands-on skills. “If you want to teach children how engines work, you wouldn’t want to first teach them all about wrenches and all about screwdrivers. You would show them the engine, and ask how they would take it apart. Then a very important thing happens, which is that the relevance of the tools becomes apparent.”
Plans To Have More Children Together Despite Not Being in a Relationship
Grimes revealed the reason why she and Elon opted for surrogacy when it came to their second child, explaining that she suffered complications in her first pregnancy that she didn’t want repeated. But six months into their surrogate’s pregnancy, the pair decided to split. Confusingly, Grimes told Vanity Fair shortly after that “I would probably refer to him as my boyfriend, but we’re very fluid.”
After they decided to part ways romantically, they agreed to live in separate houses for the most part, but retained that they were still very much “best friends.” And not only that, but Grimes admitted that the former couple still intend on having more children together, presumably, also via surrogacy. “We’ve always wanted at least three or four,” she stated.
Elon Isn’t Very Present in His Kids’ Lives Until They’re Much Older
Despite claiming to have his kids in his care for “slightly more than half the week,” he’s made it clear that he doesn’t play a significant role in his children’s lives while they’re very young. He has previously stated that babies “are just eating and pooping machines”, and admitted that ex-girlfriend Grimes was taking on more responsibilities than him.
“Now there is little I can do. Grimes has a much bigger role than me now,” Elon said to The New York Times. “When the kid gets older, there will be more of a role for me,” he concluded, adding, “I just do what I do with my other children.” Apparently, Elon’s kids can expect to see a lot more of him when they’re teenagers.
Elon’s Kids Are Required To Travel Internationally a Lot
Once his kids are older, particularly his sons, the entrepreneur admitted that they’re expected to fly out with Elon on various international business trips. Elon explained to The New York Times that “If I have a trip for Tesla to China, for example, I’ll bring the kids with me.” We wonder if that interrupts their schoolwork.
“We’ll go see the Great Wall or we took the bullet train from Beijing to Xi’an and saw the Terracotta Warriors,” Elon added. But, according to Elon’s ex-wife Justine Wilson, taking his kids on a business trip was more for him than for the kids: “…the whirlwind of glitter couldn’t disguise a growing void at the core. Elon was obsessed with his work: when he was home, his mind was elsewhere.”
Grimes Uses AI Music Instead of “Aimless Crap” To Get X To Sleep
Grimes partnered up with the Endel sleep app to create an “AI lullaby”, which they described as a “sleep soundscape with original music and vocals by Grimes.” She explained how inspiration came to her after she tried to find “a better baby sleeping situation” for her then-five-month-old, which she found in AI music.
Grimes told The New York Times: “When you have a baby, you’re always using white noise machines. It’s much easier to get them to sleep if you train them on some kind of audio situation. And so I was just like, could this be more artistic? In general, stuff for babies is really just creatively bad. I don’t want your first introduction to the world to just be all this aimless crap.”
Elon Is Accused of Having a “Breeder Kink” As He Attempts To Fix a So-Called Underpopulation Crisis
Elon’s controversial parenting choices may stem from his belief in a global underpopulation crisis. “Doing my best to help the underpopulation crisis. A collapsing birth rate is the biggest danger civilization faces by far,” the entrepreneur tweeted in 2022. He told his followers, “I hope you have big families and congrats to those who already do.”
Rolling Stone magazine accused Elon of having a “breeder kink,” i.e., trying to have as many children with as many women as possible, and claimed that he failed to adequately justify it. Especially since demographers have stated that there is no global underpopulation crisis at the moment; rather, there’s an overpopulation one.
“Completely Stupid Video Games” Are a No-go For the Musk Children
Elon may let his kids play video games – as long as they read for twice as long as they play – but he has another rule in place when it comes to the leisure pastime. He has previously stated that they are allowed to play just as long as they don’t indulge in what he calls “completely stupid video games.”
Elon explained: “They also can’t play completely stupid video games. There’s one game they downloaded called ‘Cookies’ or something. You literally tap a f****** cookie. Its like a psych 101 experiment. I made them delete the cookie game. They had to play flappy golf instead, which is like flappy bird, but at least there are some physics involved.”
Elon Tries To Be Diligent About Coming Home Early For Dinner
Elon likes to claim that he’s an involved parent, even if he admits that he leaves taking of kids during their early years more or less up to their mother. He wrote about making a big effort to leave work on time each evening in order to eat dinner with his kids as well as indulge in some group video gaming time.
Elon explained that while most of his time is split between SpaceX and tesla Motors, he understands the importance of spending quality time with his many kids. While the billionaire does force his kids to adhere to some pretty strict house rules, he also seems to understand the importance of giving them an involved father figure.
Grimes’ Own Mother Isn’t That Hot on Elon’s Parenting Style
Grimes hasn’t spoken out against her former romantic partner. But her own mother, Sandy Garossino, has publicly slammed the entrepreneur on Twitter, seemingly for not having his priorities in check. Elon controversially tweeted, “Take the red pill,” referencing The Matrix and supposedly showing his growing support for typically conservative opinions.
Elon’s controversial tweet came shortly after the birth of his son with Grimes, to which mom Sandy replied in a subtweet: “If your partner went through a challenging pregnancy and childbirth in the last two weeks… And you were over 16 years old, Would you be blaring MRA bullsh** on Twitter right now?” Clearly, Sandy has a lot to say about Elon’s parenting style.
Grimes Exposes Her Infant Daughter To Techno Music and German Philosophy
When Grimes and ELon’s daughter Exa was nine-months-old, Grimes gave her followers a rare glimpse of their infant daughter on Twitter. She shared a photo of the little one wearing a pink headband and wrote “My daughter is dancing to techno over this copy of the birth of tragedy by Nietzsche. what a queen.”
In the comments section of her tweet, she revealed that Exa had also taken to Shakespeare, and added, “She loves Boris Brejcha omg she’s so hardcore haha.” It seems as though Grimes has every intention of exposing her daughter to mature music and literature despite her young age.
Elon Tragically Lost His First Son Many Years Ago
Elon and his ex-wife Justine Wilson suffered a personal tragedy with their first son. Nevada Alexander Musk was born over a decade ago on May 18th, 2002, but he sadly passed away at only 10 weeks old. The cause is thought to have been sudden infant death syndrome, also known as SIDS. Elon barely spoke about their loss, but on the rare occasions in which he did, he offered some insight into how difficult it was.
Talking in an email chain with the father of a boy who passed away at 18 years old after experiencing a crash in a Tesla, Elon offered his condolences, having experienced his own personal tragedy. According to Bloomberg, Elon replied: “There is nothing worse than losing a child. My firstborn son died in my arms. I felt his heartbeat.”
Elon’s Son Transitioned and Doesn’t Want To Be Associated With Elon In Any Way
Elon’s ex-wife Justine gave birth to twins Griffin and Vivian back in 2004, followed by a set of triplets in 2006. Now 19 years old, Vivian petitioned a California court in 2022 to legally change her gender and name due to “Gender Identity and the fact that I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form.”
Vivian chose to assume her mother’s surname, Wilson, as a replacement for Musk. In the year before Vivian made the change, Elon had written an article explaining about his divorce from Vivian’s mother Justine, revealing that he was paying $20,000 a month in child support as well as Justine’s living expenses.
Elon Believes In Taking 50/50 Custody of His Kids In the Wake of a Divorce
In the wake of his divorce from Justine Wilson after eight years of marriage, Elon supposedly undertook shared custody of his five children with her. “Custody of our five children is split evenly,” Elon stated soon after the announcement, adding “Almost all of my nonwork waking hours are spent with my boys, and they are the love of my life.”
Justine would later write about the breakdown of her marriage to Elon, stating, “It was a dream lifestyle, privileged and surreal. But the whirlwind of glitter couldn’t disguise a growing void at the core. Elon was obsessed with his work: When he was home, his mind was elsewhere. I longed for deep and heartfelt conversations, for intimacy and empathy.”
Grimes Isn’t Afraid To Cut Her Kids Hair Herself
Grimes alternative parenting methods extend to her children’s hair, when she revealed on Instagram stories one day that she had taken to cutting her son X’s hair herself. She gave him a rather unconventional mohawk that arguably, wasn’t executed as well as it could have been.
To be fair to Grimes, she didn’t attempt to hide the fact that the haircut hadn’t gone as well as she had hoped. She captioned the photo of eight-month-old X above, “not sure this haircut went well but he’s Viking now,” later explaining that the British TV series The Last Kingdom had served as her inspiration.
Elon Is Willing To Let His Children Travel To Mars One Day
Elon has proven himself to be a strict parent in some areas of his children’s lives, but one aspect in which he would allow them more freedom is space travel. He admitted in a 2021 interview that he would give his children permission to travel to outer space when they were old enough to do so if they should so wish.
Elon stated, “Although I’ve called them so far and none of them say they want to go,” explaining that space travel isn’t at the forefront of their young minds. He continued, “So they may change their minds but currently, they’re not chomping at the foot to go to Mars.” Presumably, the billionaire is keen for his kids to have as much enthusiasm about traveling to Mars as he has.
Elon’s Own Father Has Two Children With His Former Step-Daughter
It appears as though controversy runs in Elon’s side of the family. His own father, Errol, supposedly the youngest person in South Africa to receive a professional engineers qualification, confirmed that he had fathered children with his stepdaughter Jana Bezuidenhout. Currently, they have two children together.
Jana Bezuidenhout, the biological daughter of Heide Bezuidenhuot, Errol’s second wife, gave birth to their son Elliot Rush in 2017. “The only thing we are on Earth for is to reproduce,” Errol explained in an interview with The Sun, adding that their second child together was not planned, and while he hadn’t completed a DNA test on their second child, their facial features were similar to that of his older children.
