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. As of 2023, Errol Musk has a net worth of $2 million.
Background
Errol Musk was born in 1946 in South Africa, Pretoria. He studied electromechanical engineering at a local university and pursued engineering as a career. However, Errol was primarily interested in being an entrepreneur and investor, setting his ambitions far higher than a typical engineer with his background.
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 wasn’t happy 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 him to develop his programming skills.
Career and Personal Life
Errol made his wealth as an engineer and property developer. In an interview with Business Insider, he claims to have co-owned an emerald mine in Zambia. The South African paid £40,000 for his stake which he funded from selling an airplane for £80,000. Elon debates and resents the fact people believe he grew up in a wealthy household.
Due to his success, Errol partially retired by 1980 and began spending 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. Much to the disgust of Elon, he even fathered a child with his stepdaughter.
His relationship choices often led to additional problems and as a result, he fell out with his children. Despite their estrangement, Errol still speaks positively about his kids. In an interview on his YouTube channel, Errol reports that he gave Elon money when he left South Africa but he funded himself at university.
During the dot-com bubble, Errol also sent Elon and Kimbal $30,000 to help fund the early days of Zip2. The company was a huge success but the relationship between Errol and his kids have remained rocky. Errol is now 77 years old and relies on Elon for financial support.
