The Plot Thickens: Why Elon Musk Is Now Bankrolling His Dad Despite Claims of Childhood Poverty

Here’s a wild family drama that just keeps getting messier.

Elon’s dad, Errol Musk, used to flex about the “good old days”—telling stories about how the family had SO much money they literally couldn’t close their safe. Apparently young Elon would casually walk into Tiffany & Co. with emeralds in his pocket and flip them for quick cash. The narrative? Zambian emerald mine fortune.

But hold up. Elon’s version? Completely different story.

Back in 2022, Elon tweeted that his dad never actually gave him any inheritance or major financial gifts. Even wilder—he claims “there is no objective evidence whatsoever” that the emerald mine ever existed. His take: growing up middle-to-upper-middle class, but financially struggling. No emerald riches, no overflowing safes.

The irony: Today, Elon—now one of the world’s richest people with Tesla and SpaceX—is the one footing his father’s bills. The conditions? Errol has to stay out of “bad behavior.”

So which story is real? Either Errol’s memory got really creative over the years, or Elon’s downplaying his privileged childhood. Either way, the Musk family money dynamics are basically a soap opera at this point.

One thing’s clear though: generational wealth can hit different depending on who’s telling the story.