Elon Musk likes to build things. Rockets, electric cars, brain chips—and, apparently, a very large family. Honestly, keeping up with the billionaire's family tree feels like trying to track a SpaceX flight path; it’s fast, a bit chaotic, and constantly surprising. People often ask me, "Who is the mother of Elon Musk's children?" expecting a simple answer. It’s not. As of early 2026, there isn't just one mother; there are four distinct women who have shared this wild journey with him.
The total count of children currently stands at 14. Yeah, you read that right. Fourteen.
From Canadian authors to indie-pop stars and high-level tech executives, the women Musk chooses to co-parent with are as diverse as his business portfolio. But there’s a lot of noise out there. You’ve probably seen the tabloid headlines or the weird tweets about "pronatalism." Let’s skip the drama and look at the actual facts of who these women are and how they fit into the Musk dynasty.
The First Chapter: Justine Wilson
Long before the Met Gala or the Twitter acquisition, there was Justine Wilson. She’s a Canadian author who met Musk while they were both students at Queen’s University in Ontario. They married in 2000, just as Musk was starting to make his first real millions.
Their first child, Nevada Alexander, was born in 2002. Tragically, he passed away from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) at only 10 weeks old. It’s a loss Justine has written about with heartbreaking honesty in her Marie Claire essays. Following Nevada’s death, the couple turned to IVF to grow their family. This led to the birth of twins, Griffin and Vivian, in 2004.
Vivian has since become one of the most high-profile members of the family, though not for the reasons Elon might like. In 2022, she legally changed her name and gender, stating she no longer wished to be related to her biological father "in any way, shape or form." She now uses her mother's maiden name, Wilson.
🔗 Read more: Jeremy Renner Accident Recovery: What Really Happened Behind the Scenes
In 2006, Justine gave birth to triplets: Kai, Saxon, and Damian. That brought the total to six children before the couple finally divorced in 2008. While they shared custody for years, Justine has remained relatively private, focusing on her career as a fantasy novelist.
The Grimes Era and the Name Controversy
After a couple of marriages (and divorces) with actress Talulah Riley—who, for the record, does not have any children with him—Musk started dating the musician Grimes (Claire Boucher) in 2018. This is where things got... well, "internet famous."
They welcomed their first son in May 2020. They named him X Æ A-12.
Basically, the internet broke.
California law eventually forced them to change it to X Æ A-Xii, but they just call him "X."
Their second child, Exa Dark Sideræl (nicknamed "Y"), was born via surrogate in December 2021. This birth was actually a total secret until a Vanity Fair reporter heard a baby crying in the house during an interview. Grimes eventually admitted they had a daughter.
But wait, there's more. In 2023, a biography by Walter Isaacson revealed a third child with Grimes: a son named Techno Mechanicus, also known as "Tau."
💡 You might also like: Kendra Wilkinson Photos: Why Her Latest Career Pivot Changes Everything
The relationship between Musk and Grimes has been described as "fluid," but by 2025, they were embroiled in a serious custody battle. Grimes has been vocal about her desire for privacy for her kids, which often clashes with Musk’s very public lifestyle.
The Neuralink Connection: Shivon Zilis
While the world was focused on Grimes, Musk was also growing a family with Shivon Zilis. Zilis isn't a celebrity in the traditional sense; she’s a top-tier tech executive. She worked at OpenAI and is currently a director at Musk’s brain-chip company, Neuralink.
In November 2021—just weeks before Grimes’ daughter Y was born—Zilis and Musk welcomed twins, Strider and Azure. This news didn't even break until court documents were leaked nearly a year later. They had filed to change the twins' names so they would "have their father's last name and contain their mother's last name as part of their middle name."
Zilis is clearly a believer in Musk’s "pronatalist" philosophy—the idea that smart people need to have more kids to save civilization. They didn't stop at twins. In February 2024, Zilis gave birth to a daughter named Arcadia.
Most recently, in early 2025, Zilis announced the arrival of their fourth child together, a son named Seldon Lycurgus. Zilis has shared photos on X (formerly Twitter) of the kids visiting SpaceX, clearly indicating she's deeply integrated into Musk’s world.
📖 Related: What Really Happened With the Brittany Snow Divorce
The Latest Addition: Ashley St. Clair
The most recent person to join the list of mothers is Ashley St. Clair, a conservative commentator and author. This relationship was largely under the radar until late 2024 and early 2025.
St. Clair announced on X that she and Musk had a son named Romulus.
It wasn't a peaceful announcement.
By early 2026, the two were already in court. St. Clair sued for sole custody, reportedly calling Musk a "man-child" who had barely met the baby. Meanwhile, Musk filed his own petition for custody, particularly after St. Clair publicly shifted some of her political views. It’s a messy situation that is currently playing out in the legal system.
Breaking Down the Family Tree
If you’re struggling to keep the names straight, you aren't alone. Here’s the breakdown of who mothered whom:
- Justine Wilson: Nevada (deceased), Vivian, Griffin, Kai, Saxon, Damian.
- Grimes: X Æ A-Xii, Exa Dark Sideræl, Techno Mechanicus.
- Shivon Zilis: Strider, Azure, Arcadia, Seldon Lycurgus.
- Ashley St. Clair: Romulus.
Total: 14 kids.
Why Does This Matter?
Beyond the gossip, there’s a real-world impact here. Musk is one of the richest and most powerful men on Earth. His personal beliefs about population collapse directly influence how he runs his companies and what he posts to his hundreds of millions of followers.
He isn't just having kids; he's trying to start a movement. Whether you think he’s a visionary father or just a guy with a complicated personal life, the reality is that these 14 children will grow up as heirs to one of the largest fortunes in history.
If you're following this story, keep an eye on the custody filings in Texas and California. The legal precedents being set by these high-profile co-parenting battles—especially with Zilis and St. Clair—might actually change how we view parental rights in the age of IVF and surrogacy. Check the latest court updates on X or major news outlets for the newest developments in the St. Clair case, as that is currently the most active legal battle in the Musk household.