Let me first educate you about Mr. Musk’s family history.
Elon is the wealthiest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of US$222 billion.
Elon’s mother was born in Canada and emigrated with her parents to South Africa in 1950 when she was a child. She met and later married Elon’s father, Errol. They separated in 1979. Elon and his 2 siblings then lived with their father. Elon’s father was an engineer just like him. They have had a difficult relationship. Elon moved to Canada when he was 17 and attended Queens University.
Elon launched software company Zip2 which was acquired by Compaq for $307 million in 1999. That same year, Elon co-founded X.com which later became PayPal. In 2002, eBay acquired PayPal for $1.5 billion. That same year, Elon founded SpaceX. Two years later, he created electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla Motors.
As for his personal life, Elon met Justine Wilson while at Queens University. Between 2000 and 2008, they had 6 children together. They lost 1 baby at 10 weeks from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Elon then married actor Tallulah Riley – twice. They were married from 2010 to 2012 and then from 2013 to 2016. They have no children.
2021 was a busy year for Elon. He had twins Strider and Azure with his employee Shivon Zilis and had his second child with singer Claire Elise Boucher, aka Grimes. Their 3 children are X Æ A-12, Exa Dark Sideræl and Techno. Grimes is now suing Musk.
Somewhere in between, Elon dated Amber Heard (Johnny Depp’s ex).
If you have been doing the math, Elon has had 11 children with 3 women, not counting the women he dated during and after each relationship. Elon is only 52 years old.
Now, as for Elon as a family law client, I ponder at least 10 questions:
1. How does a lawyer resolve parenting time with Elon’s many children?
2. How is the range, amounts and duration of child support calculated?
3. Same for spousal support?
4. How is jurisdiction determined (that is the present court battle with Grimes)?
5. Can all court cases be sealed from public scrutiny for national and international security reasons?
6. Does Elon get his children for Jewish and/or secular holidays?
7. How does his lawyer keep tabs on all his parenting and spousal legal obligations?
8. How many Cohabitation Agreements and Pre-Nups have Elon’s name on it?
9. What is Elon’s estate plan?
10. Would I want the privilege of being Elon’s family law lawyer?
I respectfully decline.
Editorial Note: Originally published in 2024, this article explores the complex legal challenges presented by Elon Musk’s personal life—from parenting arrangements to support, jurisdiction, and privacy. It asks a provocative question every family lawyer can relate to: Would you want him as a client?
Steve Benmor, B.Sc., LL.B., LL.M. (Family Law), C.S., Cert.F.Med., C.Arb., FDRP PC, is the founder and principal lawyer of Benmor Family Law Group, a boutique matrimonial law firm in downtown Toronto. He is a Certified Specialist in Family Law, a Certified Specialist in Parenting Coordination and was admitted as a Fellow to the prestigious International Academy of Family Lawyers. Steve is regularly retained as a Divorce Mediator/Arbitrator and Parenting Coordinator. Steve uses his 30 years of in-depth knowledge of family law, court-room experience and expert problem-solving skills in Divorce Mediation/Arbitration to help spouses reach fair, fast and cooperative divorce settlements without the financial losses, emotional costs and lengthy delays from divorce court.
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