While the lives and careers of entrepreneurs have always been an area of fascination, their parents also remain a focal point. The life of Elon Musk has gotten a significant amount of attention. However, the life of his father, Errol Musk is also notable. With a net worth of $2 million, many people want to know more about the life and career of Errol.
In addition to the huge success of his son Elon, his other children are also notable for their achievements. Who is Errol and how did he raise children with such high ambitions?
Early Origins
Errol Musk is South African and was born in 1946 in Pretoria. He studied electromechanical engineering at a local university and pursued engineering as a career. However, he was primarily interested in being an entrepreneur and investor, setting his ambitions far higher than a typical engineer with his background and degree.
He married his high school sweetheart Maye Haldeman who was a Canadian model and dietitian. In the 1970s, they began their family by having two boys, Elon and Kimbal. Just a few years later, the couple had a daughter Tosca. However, their married life was not a happy one and the couple divorced in 1979.
Errol came from a family of avid thinkers and doers though. His grandmother was the first chiropractor in Canada and his parents were also trailblazing adventurers. Errol pursued not only a career as an engineer but also became a pilot and a sailor. With an interest in real estate, he made the bulk of his income from consulting and developing properties.
While his children also grew up in Pretoria, the entire Musk family continued to develop their prodigious skills. Elon was fascinated with computers at an early age and Errol encouraged his development of computing skills.
Career and Personal Life
Errol became a wealthy person due primarily to his work as a real estate developer. He owned several mines. Although there were multiple stories about Errol owning an emerald mine, he actually only owned a share in the mine. Due to his career success, Errol retired partially by 1980 and began to spend most of his time traveling.
Despite having a successful career, his personal life has been marked by scandal. After Errol and Maye divorced, he remarried but had several affairs. He fathered a child with his stepdaughter as well.
His relationship choices often led to additional problems and caused estrangement with his children who resented his actions. Despite their estrangement, Errol remained in support of his children’s talent.
Although not providing money to Elon himself, Errol invested in Elon and Kimbal’s first software company, Zip2. The company flourished but the relationship between Errol and his children remained rocky.
Even though Errol and his children have some contact, they remain less connected than many parents with their children. Attempting to live in Malibu together met with disaster and Errol returned to South Africa where he lives in the Western Cape, preferring to be in the country he knows best.
