Elon Musk, the innovative mind behind Tesla and SpaceX, is not only revolutionizing technology but also leading a rather unconventional family life. Over two decades, he has become a father to 14 children, navigating co-parenting and complex relationships with multiple partners. This article delves into the expansive family of Elon Musk, exploring each of his children, their mothers, and the dynamics that shape this modern family.
Musk’s journey into fatherhood began with his first wife, Canadian author Justine Wilson. In 2002, they welcomed their first son, Nevada Alexander, a heartbreaking experience as Nevada tragically passed away at just 10 weeks old due to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Despite this profound loss, their family continued to grow. Wilson and Musk went on to have five more children: twins Vivian and Griffin, and triplets Kai, Saxon, and Damian.
After a seven-year marriage, Musk and Wilson divorced in 2008. Musk then married actress Talulah Riley, twice in fact, although their unions did not result in children. The next chapter in Musk’s family story began with his relationship with singer Grimes. In 2020, they announced the arrival of their son, X Æ A-12, a name as unique as the couple themselves. Grimes and Musk expanded their family further with two more children, daughter Exa Dark Sideræl and son Techno Mechanicus.
Adding another layer of complexity to his family life, it was revealed in 2022 that Musk had secretly fathered twins, Strider and Azure, with Shivon Zilis, an executive at Neuralink, one of his companies, in November 2021 – just weeks before Exa’s arrival. In February 2024, Musk and Zilis welcomed another daughter, Arcadia. Most recently, in February 2025, it was disclosed that Musk had welcomed his 13th child with author Ashley St. Clair in September 2024, and his 14th child, another son named Seldon Lycurgus, with Shivon Zilis, though the exact birthdate remains undisclosed.
This makes for a large and blended family, with Musk navigating relationships with multiple mothers and striving, according to reports, to create a cohesive family environment. Let’s take a closer look at each of Elon Musk’s children and the women who share in raising them.
Nevada Alexander
The firstborn son of Elon Musk and Justine Wilson, Nevada Alexander, was born in 2002. His life was tragically cut short at just ten weeks old. Wilson poignantly described the devastating event in an essay for Marie Claire, recounting how Nevada stopped breathing during a nap. Despite resuscitation efforts, he suffered severe oxygen deprivation and brain death. Wilson held him as he passed away after three days on life support. This profound loss deeply impacted Musk and Wilson, influencing their subsequent decision to pursue IVF to expand their family.
Vivian Jenna Wilson and Griffin
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(484×164:486×166)/elon-musk-kids-vivian-wilson-021225-f2b1d77250b948f1bdf83262f8739861.jpg)
Elon Musk’s daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson, pictured in November 2024, has publicly distanced herself from her father.
Justine Wilson detailed in her Marie Claire essay how she and Elon turned to IVF to cope with the grief of losing Nevada and to build the family they longed for. Within five years after Nevada’s death, she gave birth to twins, Vivian and Griffin, followed by triplets.
Vivian Jenna Wilson, one of the twins, has become publicly known for her legal petition in April 2022 to change her name and gender. Seeking to be recognized as female and to adopt her mother’s maiden name, Vivian explicitly stated her desire to sever ties with her biological father, “in any way, shape or form,” according to court documents. Her petition was granted in June 2022.
Musk attributed Vivian’s estrangement to what he described as neo-Marxist ideology prevalent in elite schools and universities, suggesting a political divide as the root cause of their strained relationship. He expressed a sense of resignation, stating, “Can’t win them all,” while affirming good relationships with his other children.
However, Vivian has offered a different perspective. In July 2024, responding to Musk’s claims about her gender-affirming care and their relationship, Vivian refuted his narrative on Threads, stating his claims were “completely made up.” She asserted that Musk was largely absent during her childhood and that in the limited interactions they had, she faced harassment for her “femininity and queerness.” In an interview with NBC News, Vivian elaborated on her decision to speak out, challenging Musk’s public statements and highlighting his absence during her upbringing, estimating his presence at about “10% of the time.”
Grimes, mother to three of Musk’s children, publicly voiced her support for Vivian on X, expressing enduring pride and love. Vivian’s public comments extended to further criticism of her father, labeling him “pathetic” and a “serial adulterer” in August 2024.
In contrast to Vivian’s public stance, Griffin has remained largely out of the spotlight. He was seen with his father at an American Express event in Miami in May 2024, prompting Musk to acknowledge him on X as his “eldest son, Griffin.”
Kai, Saxon, and Damian
Born in 2006, Kai, Saxon, and Damian are the triplet sons of Elon Musk and Justine Wilson, conceived through IVF. While Musk and Wilson have generally maintained a private approach regarding these children, Justine did mention their conception via IVF in a 2017 TedTalk.
Author Walter Isaacson, in his 2023 biography Elon Musk, offered glimpses into Damian’s personality and interests. He noted Damian’s early adoption of vegetarianism at age eight, driven by a concern for his carbon footprint. Isaacson also highlighted Damian’s aptitude for classical music, mathematics, and physics, with Musk’s mother, Maye, reportedly remarking on Damian’s exceptional intelligence, even compared to Elon himself.
X Æ A-12 (X Æ A-Xii)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999×0:1001×2)/elon-musk-3-6a2ab1ea4a164afba2e929b663f6faf2.jpg)
Elon Musk and his son X Æ A-12 at the TIME Person of the Year event in December 2021.
X Æ A-12, born on May 4, 2020, is the first child of Elon Musk and Grimes. His birth was announced following Grimes’ pregnancy reveal earlier that year. The initial name, X Æ A-12, was later slightly modified to X Æ A-Xii to comply with California naming regulations. The name is partly inspired by the Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance plane.
The pronunciation of X Æ A-12 has been a subject of public curiosity. Grimes clarified on Instagram that it is pronounced “just X, like the letter X,” followed by “A.I.” Musk, however, offered a slightly different pronunciation on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, stating “X” is pronounced as the letter, and “Æ” as “Ash.” While Musk credited himself with “A-12,” he acknowledged Grimes as primarily responsible for the unique name. Grimes elaborated on the name’s meaning on X, referencing elements of elven language and technology.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(729×128:731×130)/elon-musk-kids-son-x-white-house-021225-9e0fe5ea6f2745bb8129b4ed9858b625.jpg)
Elon Musk with his son X Æ A-Xii during a visit to the Oval Office in February 2025.
X Æ A-Xii has occasionally appeared in public alongside his father. Reports surfaced of Musk bringing his then two-year-old son to meetings at X (formerly Twitter) offices in 2022. The Washington Post detailed X Æ A-Xii’s presence during a meeting with Yoel Roth, running around and playing amidst toys in the conference room. In April 2023, he accompanied Musk to the MMA Global Possible Conference in Miami, engaging playfully with his father on stage.
Grimes has spoken about X Æ A-Xii’s fascination with spacecraft, noting his extensive knowledge of rockets at a young age. She recounted his intense emotional reaction to the explosion of SpaceX’s Starship rocket, highlighting his deep interest in space exploration. In February 2025, X Æ A-Xii joined Musk on a visit to the Oval Office for the signing of an executive order by President Donald Trump. Grimes expressed surprise and concern on X about her son’s public appearance, emphasizing her desire to keep her children out of the public eye.
Strider and Azure
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749×0:751×2)/elon-musk-twins-names-090723-7ab20e21ef5b4b6f92c58cfb70a239b9.jpg)
Elon Musk and Shivon Zilis with their twins Strider and Azure.
In November 2021, Elon Musk secretly welcomed twins, Strider (son) and Azure (daughter), with Shivon Zilis. Born in Austin, Texas, their arrival preceded the birth of Musk’s daughter Exa with Grimes by just a few weeks. Court documents revealed that Musk and Zilis sought to change the twins’ names in April 2022, aiming to incorporate both parents’ surnames, giving them Musk as their last name and Zilis as part of their middle name. The names and genders of the twins were publicly revealed in September 2023, when they were 16 months old.
Exa Dark Sideræl
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(427×244:429×246)/elon-musk-kids-daughter-exa-021225-deda000778f04439a8c4bf945da9287c.jpg)
Elon Musk and Grimes’ daughter Exa Dark Sideræl, nicknamed “Y” or “?”.
Exa Dark Sideræl, Musk’s daughter with Grimes, was born via surrogate in December 2021, three months after Musk and Grimes’ public separation. Grimes revealed her daughter’s arrival in a Vanity Fair interview a year later, explaining the name’s multifaceted meaning. “Exa” refers to exaFLOPS, a supercomputing term, while “Dark” symbolizes the unknown. “Sideræl,” pronounced “sigh-deer-ee-el,” is described as an “elven” form of “sidereal,” denoting “true time of the universe.” It also alludes to Grimes’ favorite Lord of the Rings character, Galadriel.
In March 2023, Grimes shared a rare photo of Exa, revealing her nickname “Y,” or “?”, explaining it as a representation of “curiosity, the eternal question.” She also mentioned that Exa is referred to as “Why?” Grimes has described her younger child as a “little engineer,” noting her unusual interest in “industrial shipping.”
Techno Mechanicus
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(671×19:673×21)/elon-grimes-c553a9afd6ab486ca4119f9818870826.jpg)
Elon Musk and Grimes at the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala in 2018.
Techno Mechanicus, also known as “Tau,” is Elon Musk and Grimes’ third child, secretly born in June 2022. The birth was revealed in Walter Isaacson’s biography of Musk. Grimes described Tau as having “eyes that could just see so deeply into your soul, with so much knowledge,” and likened his appearance to a “little Spock,” suggesting a Vulcan-like demeanor. Following the biography’s release, Grimes stated her intention to keep details about Techno Mechanicus private, requesting respect for her children’s privacy.
Arcadia
Arcadia, Elon Musk’s third child with Shivon Zilis, was born on February 28, 2024. Musk confirmed her arrival in June 2024. Zilis publicly acknowledged Arcadia on her first birthday in February 2025, expressing her deep love for her daughter on X.
Seldon Lycurgus
Shivon Zilis announced the birth of her fourth child with Elon Musk, a son named Seldon Lycurgus, in February 2025. The exact birthdate was not disclosed. Zilis shared on X that they decided to announce his arrival, describing Seldon as “built like a juggernaut, with a solid heart of gold,” expressing her deep affection for him.
Elon Musk and Ashley St. Clair’s Baby
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(729×314:731×316)/Ashley-St-Clair-Elon-Musk-011425-2-56e26a557d2d48ed9dc506b0d934ad0e.jpg)
Ashley St. Clair and Elon Musk, pictured separately.
In February 2025, Ashley St. Clair revealed that she and Elon Musk had welcomed a child together in September 2024. St. Clair stated that she had initially kept the information private to protect her child’s privacy and safety but chose to make it public due to impending media disclosure. She requested privacy for her child, seeking to ensure a “normal and safe environment” for their upbringing. It remains unclear whether St. Clair’s child was born before or after Musk and Zilis’ fourth child, Seldon Lycurgus.
Elon Musk’s family life is as dynamic and unconventional as his professional endeavors. With 14 children and counting, his approach to family reflects a modern, blended structure that is increasingly common yet still subject to public fascination and scrutiny. Navigating relationships with multiple partners and co-parenting across a large brood, Musk’s family story continues to unfold, mirroring the ever-evolving landscape of contemporary family dynamics.
