Elon Musk’s father, Errol Musk, has revealed that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year following a routine check-up.
The 79-year-old South African businessman, who has shared a fraught relationship with his billionaire son, confirmed he had his prostate removed upon discovery of the cancer.
Speaking to the Mail Online, Musk Sr. urged other men to get a screening when they could.
“I feel lucky to be alive and feel fortunate my tumour was caught early, while it was still treatable - but there are so many men who are not so fortunate,” he said.
He added: “With one in eight men set to develop prostate cancer in their lifetime, it’s vital we catch it early and get them the urgent treatment they need.”
Musk Sr. — the father of seven children, including Elon and two children he fathered with his own stepdaughter — reportedly told Elon about his diagnosis over email. The Tesla mogul allegedly told his father he would pay his medical bills.
However, it appears that Musk and his famous son haven’t always seen eye to eye, with Musk Sr. recently criticising Elon’s parenting skills.
Elon has also branded his dad a “terrible human being” in past interviews, adding: “almost every evil thing you could possibly think of, he has done.”
Read on for a closer look at both Elon Musk’s parents and his relationship with them.
Who is Errol Musk?
Errol Musk, father to Elon, is a South African politician, engineer, and businessman.
Similar to Musk, he has several children, three (including Elon) with his first wife Maye Haldeman, two with his third wife Heide Bezuidenhout, and two more with his controversial fourth partner Jana Bezuidenhout.
Jana is his stepdaughter through Heide and was just four years old when Errol married her mother.
The relationship drew steep criticism due to the nature of how they met. Errol appears to be motivated to reproduce as much as possible, having once said: “The only thing we are on Earth for is to reproduce.”
The relationship between Errol and Elon is troubled. Errol has, however, defended his son’s views in the media when criticised before, such as when Elon said the UK was heading to civil war.
Who is Maye Haldeman?
Maye Haldeman, Errol’s first wife and mother to Elon, is a model with a career spanning 50 years. Highlights include appearances in a Time magazine health edition, international editions of Vogue, and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
Born in Canada, she also holds South African and American citizenship and has two master’s degrees in diet and nutrition.
She met Errol in high school and married young, divorcing in 1979 after nine years of marriage. In a later memoir, she alleged that he was abusive.
Haldeman recounted a time when she sought refuge at a neighbour's home during the divorce, as Errol had shown up at her home with a knife looking for her.
A couple of years later, 10-year-old Elon elected to live with his father, reportedly because he had a computer, something his mom could not afford.
A few years on, Elon’s brother Kimbal also went to live with their father. When Elon decided to move to Canada after graduating high school, Haldeman and her daughter Tosca emigrated too.
In an interview with Forbes in 2023, she said that her greatest achievement was "having three great kids and surviving".
