Honestly, trying to keep track of Elon Musk's family tree feels a bit like trying to map out a SpaceX flight path—lots of high-speed maneuvers, a few unexpected pivots, and plenty of public fascination. If you’ve ever found yourself scrolling through X (formerly Twitter) wondering who are Elon Musk’s wives, you’re definitely not alone. It’s a short list of legal spouses but a much longer list of partners and co-parents that most people get mixed up.
While the Tesla CEO currently has 14 children as of early 2026, he has only actually been married to two women. But one of them he married twice. Confused yet? Let’s break down the reality of these relationships and the women who have navigated life with the world's most famous "alpha" personality.
The First Marriage: Justine Wilson (2000–2008)
Elon’s first wife was Justine Wilson, a Canadian author he met while they were both students at Queen’s University in Ontario. Their story isn't exactly a rom-com. Elon was persistent; he once famously asked her out for ice cream, and when she blew him off to study, he showed up at the library with two chocolate chip cones dripping down his hands.
They tied the knot in 2000. For a while, they were the ultimate Silicon Valley power couple, but behind the scenes, things were... intense. Justine later wrote a viral essay for Marie Claire titled "I Was a Starter Wife," where she described a marriage where she felt more like an employee than a partner. She claimed Elon would often tell her, "If you were my employee, I would fire you."
Their time together was marked by immense tragedy and then a very specific kind of planning.
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- Their first son, Nevada Alexander, passed away at just 10 weeks old from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
- Following the loss, they turned to IVF.
- They eventually had five more children: twins (Griffin and Vivian) and triplets (Kai, Saxon, and Damian).
By 2008, the marriage hit a breaking point. Justine wanted counseling; Elon reportedly gave her an ultimatum to fix the marriage that day or he’d file for divorce. He filed the next morning. Today, Justine keeps the last name Musk for the sake of their kids, though their daughter Vivian has famously distanced herself from Elon entirely.
The Actress He Married Twice: Talulah Riley (2010–2016)
Just weeks after the paperwork was filed for his first divorce, Musk met British actress Talulah Riley (known for Pride & Prejudice and Westworld) at a London nightclub. It was a whirlwind. Within six weeks, they were engaged.
They married in 2010 at a cathedral in Scotland, but the relationship became a "rinse and repeat" cycle of breakups and reconciliations. They divorced in 2012, only to realize they couldn't quite stay away from each other. Musk even tweeted at the time: "It was an amazing four years. I will love you forever. You will make someone very happy one day."
Plot twist: That "someone" ended up being him—again.
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They remarried in 2013. By 2014, Musk filed for divorce again, then withdrew it. Finally, in 2016, Riley filed for the final time. Looking back, Riley has been remarkably chill about the whole thing, telling The Independent that it just felt "silly" to be together and not be married once they’d already done it. She’s since moved on and married actor Thomas Brodie-Sangster in 2024.
The Non-Wives: Grimes, Shivon Zilis, and Ashley St. Clair
This is where the "who are Elon Musk's wives" question gets tricky. Many people assume musician Grimes or Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis were wives because they have multiple children with him, but he never actually walked down the aisle with them.
Grimes (Claire Boucher)
They debuted at the 2018 Met Gala after bonding over a nerdy joke about Rococo Basilisk. They have three children together: X Æ A-Xii (X), Exa Dark Sideræl (Y), and Techno Mechanicus (Tau). Their relationship was described as "fluid," and they are currently involved in a fairly messy, ongoing custody battle that has played out in the headlines through 2025 and 2026.
Shivon Zilis
Zilis is a top executive at Musk's company, Neuralink. In a move that surprised the world (and reportedly Grimes), it was revealed that she and Musk had twins via IVF in 2021. Since then, they’ve had two more children, bringing their total to four: Strider, Azure, Arcadia, and Seldon Lycurgus. Zilis has maintained that their relationship wasn't a traditional romance but rather a shared mission to combat "underpopulation."
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Ashley St. Clair
The newest addition to the public roster is conservative influencer Ashley St. Clair. In early 2025, it was revealed they share a son named Romulus, born in late 2024. This relationship has also turned litigious, with Musk pursuing full custody in early 2026 following public disagreements over political and social issues.
Why Does This History Matter?
Musk’s approach to family is a reflection of his approach to everything else: high-output, unconventional, and prone to rapid iteration. For those trying to understand the man who wants to colonize Mars, his personal life offers a window into his obsession with "pro-natalism" and the idea that smart people have a moral obligation to reproduce.
Realities of the Musk Family Dynamic:
- IVF is the Standard: Most of his children from the last decade were conceived via IVF or surrogacy.
- The "Alpha" Factor: Both Justine and Grimes have spoken about the difficulty of maintaining an identity while partnered with someone whose ego and career literally span the globe.
- Public vs. Private: While he tweets about the "collapse of civilization" due to low birth rates, the actual day-to-day co-parenting appears to be a complex web of NDAs, legal filings, and separate households in Texas.
Actionable Insights for the Curious
If you're following this story for more than just gossip, there are a few things to watch for in the coming months:
- Custody Precedents: The ongoing cases with Grimes and Ashley St. Clair are setting interesting legal precedents for high-net-worth "non-traditional" families.
- The Texas Move: Most of Musk's family activity has shifted to the Austin area, where he has reportedly tried to purchase adjacent properties to keep his children close, even if their mothers aren't exactly on speaking terms.
- Estrangement Issues: The public rift between Musk and his daughter Vivian highlights the personal cost of his very public political pivot, a reminder that billionaire status doesn't insulate a family from modern cultural divides.
Understanding who are Elon Musk’s wives is really just the entry point into a much larger story about how the world's wealthiest man is attempting to engineer his own legacy—one child and one court filing at a time.
To keep up with the latest updates on these legal proceedings or the birth of any further children, following verified court reporting is usually more reliable than the chaotic "X" timeline.