Tech Billionaire Elon Musk Buries Differences With Estranged Father Errol and Reunites After 7 Years
The SpaceX launch witnessed the reunion of the Musk family after tech billionaire Elon Musk buried the hatchet with estranged father Errol Musk for the first time in seven years. The father-son duo met in an emotional embrace alongside ex-wife Heide and their granddaughter Cora Amelia.
The Tesla owner has had a tense relationship with his 77-year-old father. Musk has always kept his family life hidden from the world, whether his kids, romantic relationships, or differences with his parents. However, he didn't mince his words in a 2017 interview with Rolling Stone, calling his father a "terrible human being."
Now, in 2023, this reunion is a twofold special, considering their tumultuous past. Putting bitter memories behind them, the two met in Boca Chica, Texas, during the SpaceX company's first-ever successful Starship rocket launch into space on Saturday, November 18, 2023, per The Sun.
Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on an exciting second integrated flight test of Starship!
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 18, 2023
Starship successfully lifted off under the power of all 33 Raptor engines on the Super Heavy Booster and made it through stage separation pic.twitter.com/JnCvLAJXPi
Elon's last get-together with his father was in 2016 when he joined his brother Kimbal in Cape Town, South Africa, to celebrate Errol's 70th birthday. This time, the X owner sent a surprise invitation to his father for the Starship launch from the company's base, and the emotional father couldn't turn it down.
Although Daddy Musk refused to comment, his ex-wife recounted the long-awaited meeting between father and son. "The family cried. It was pretty emotional stuff," Heidi told the outlet. "Errol was very happy to see Elon, and Elon appeared very happy to see his father."
She continued, "They immediately sat down at Elon's table next to one another and started talking as though no time had passed. They spoke for a long time." Heidi gushed over the family reunion, "It was very touching for me and our daughters to see this. We were speechless."
The family witnessed the Starship launch from a VIP platform next to over 100 U.S. and international guests. A family picture obtained by The Sun showed Errol posing in front of the rocket alongside ex-Heidi, daughters Alexandra and Rose, Alexandra's husband Guy Stueart IV, and their young daughter Cora Amelia.
Describing the night, Heidi revealed Errold told her his meeting with his CEO son was "typically Musk." She continued, "Errol told me they spoke about mRNA research, the coarseness of orthopedic surgery, how to design a septic-free operating theater, and the danger of statins." She added that the father was happy to check on his son personally, who looked "very good and strong."
The tech billionaire's first rift with his father began after his parent's divorce, and the relationship further worsened after Errol announced he had a baby with his stepdaughter. In 2017, the 52-year-old said, "You have no idea. My dad will have a carefully thought-out plan of evil… He will plan evil," per PEOPLE.
In response to his son's "evil" claims, Errol said, "Elon needs to grow up. He needs to get over himself. I'm not going to hit back. I'm going to wait until he comes to his senses." He continued, "He's having a tantrum like a spoilt child. He can't have what he wants, and now I am an evil monster," reported Daily Mail.
However, according to ex-wife Heidi, it's all in the past. She clarified where the family stands, "I would say Errol's relationship with Elon, as a young man then, was very good indeed. I would add that Errol always put Elon and Kimbal first in everything."
