Divorce settlement: distribution of Elon Musk's $17.3 billion assets
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Elon Musk, the world's wealthiest individual today, once shared his life with author Justine Wilson Musk. Their union lasting from 2000 to 2008 saw Justine giving birth to six children, following the heartbreaking loss of their firstborn infant. The remaining children include twins and triplets, born under extraordinary circumstances.
Musk's fortune dwarfs Justine's, estimated to be around $15 million, a staggering difference compared to Musk's $364 billion. Recent headlines suggest that Musk offered Ashley S., the mother of his son Roul, $15 million or $100,000 a month for her silence about their relationship. However, the offer swiftly vanished once shepublicly revealed Musk as the father.
Musk and Justine's relationship sets a pattern in Musk's involvement with the mothers of his 14 known children. It all started at Queen's University in Ontario, Canada, where they crossed paths as students. After Musk transferred to the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, Justine followed him to Silicon Valley. During this period, Musk was immersed in developing software for Zip2, a company he co-founded with his brother Kimbal and friend Greg Kouri.
In 1999, the sale of Zip2 to IT corporation Compaq brought Musk a substantial paycheck of around $20 million. The entrepreneur splurged on a million-dollar McLaren F1 sports car, captured on CNN cameras, with Justine by his side. Musk would later infamously crash the vehicle.
Musk and Justine's marriage spread its roots in Los Angeles in 2002, the same year Musk founded SpaceX. By 2004, he was invested in Tesla and joined its board of directors. Over the next four years, Justine gave birth to six sons. She was also prolific in her art, releasing three art books between 2005 and 2008. The couple parted ways in late spring 2008, just months before Musk made his debut on the global billionaire list with a net worth of around $2 billion.
During divorce proceedings, Justin demanded Elon's house, child support, 10% of his Tesla shares, 5% of his SpaceX shares, $6 million, and a sky-blue Tesla Roadster. If she had received these assets, Facebook's late COO Sheryl Sandberg estimated she'd be worth around $17.3 billion and rank among the world's wealthiest individuals.
Yet, Justin's net worth today pales in comparison to Musk's. The couple's prenuptial agreement, signed in March 2000, limited Justin's claims to their existing assets and the family home. Years later, Justin expressed regret, admitting that she signed the agreement blindly, trusting her husband at the time.
Legal disputes between the ex-couple continued regarding the validity of the prenuptial agreement. Justin argued that Musk didn't disclose crucial information about the impending merger of X.com and Confinity during their divorce proceedings. In 2011, a court finally ruled in Musk's favor, ultimately costing him around $4 million in legal fees.
As per records, Justin sold the family home in Bel Air shortly after the ruling and bought a new property in Los Angeles. If she had invested the majority of the proceeds from the sale in stock market assets, it could be worth over $6.5 million today. Neither Justin nor Musk's representative responded to the media's requests for comment on the matter.
In the wake of her divorce, Justine has chosen to retreat from the public eye. A passionate advocate for women's rights, she expresses her views on social media platform X. With regards to presidential candidate Donald Trump, "It seems the very definition of a rape culture" to elect a man with allegations of sexual misconduct, she opines.
Justin's teenage transgender daughter Vivian Jenner Wilson, one of the twin sons born during her marriage to Musk, has been candid about her father's public ridicule of transgender individuals and the trans community at large. "Mom has been very supportive," said Vivian during a Teen Vogue interview in March 2022. "Dad wasn't as supportive. But I've been financially independent since 2020." Vivian humorously adds, "I have no idea how many siblings I have, counting half-siblings. It's a fun fact to use when meeting people."
With speculation and rumors surrounding additional children or future offspring, it appears that Elon Musk's family is far from complete.
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Note: Although Justin suggested in an essay that she was asked to sign a postnuptial agreement, multiple sources indicate that Musk lacked a prenuptial agreement in each of his marriages and divorces[5]. Instead, after marriage, Justine was presented with what was described as a corporate-oriented postnuptial agreement, rather than a traditional prenup[1][4].
- Tragically, the worth of Justine, Elon Musk's former partner, is significantly less than Musk's, estimated to be around $15 million, a stark contrast to Musk's $364 billion.
- Entertaining the idea of cohabitation, Justine followed Elon Musk from Queen's University in Ontario, Canada, to Silicon Valley.
- Despite the staggering difference in their current net worth, Justine's testimony about her relationship with Musk has attracted the attention of the media and celebrities alike.
- The end of Justine and Musk's marriage saw Justine expressing regret about signing the prenuptial agreement, admitting that she did so blindly, trusting her husband at the time.
