NEWSElon Musk Makes Rare Comment About His Estrangement From Daughter Vivian: 'Can't Win Them All'
Oct. 10 2022, Published 12:30 p.m. ET
Months after Elon Musk’s 18-year-old transgender daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, made headlines for changing her name in order to distance herself from her famous father, the SpaceX mogul is speaking out, blaming “neo-Marxists” for his tense relationship with his child.
“It’s full-on communism and a general sentiment that if you’re rich, you’re evil,” Musk explained in a new profile published on Friday, October 7. It is unclear which institution he was specifically referencing.
Though the Tesla CEO noted that his rift with Vivian, whom he shares with his ex-wife Justine Wilson, “may change,” he claimed that he has “very good relationships” with his nine other children. “Can't win them all,” he quipped.
Back in June, Vivian made headlines after a Los Angeles judge granted her name change petition, the teen citing both “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” as catalysts for her change in moniker, per her filing. Vivian’s new last name, Wilson, is her mother’s maiden name.
Though at the time, Musk remained tight-lipped on Vivian’s decision to distance herself from him, he urged news outlets covering the story to respect his daughter’s privacy.
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“She does not want to be a public figure,” the Tesla entrepreneur said in a statement. “I think it is important to defend her right to privacy. Please don’t out someone against their will — it’s not right.”
Musk’s recent comments aren’t the only instance in which he's sparked backlash for his controversial comments surrounding transgender people. In July 2020, the entrepreneur found himself in a Twitter row with his then-girlfriend, pop star Grimes, after he shared a post reading “Pronouns suck.”
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“I love you but please turn off ur phone or give me a [c]all,” wrote Grimes, who described her gender as “female-ish,” in a since-deleted reply. “I cannot support hate. Please stop this. I know this isn’t your heart.”
Musk’s recent comments about Vivian first appeared in the Financial Times.
