. Fact check: Did Elon Musk inherit apartheid money from his South African father? He was born in South Africa to an extremely wealthy white family that profited off the exploitation of workers in sub-Saharan Africa and apartheid-era South Africa. Enter Greg Kouri, a Canadian family friend through the father that musk claims to hate. Since 2018ish, Elon Musk has disputed this claim, normally, by denying that any emerald mine existed. snopes.com. Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. I write about film, television, pop culture, and other fun stuff. So we went to this guys prefab and he opened his safe and there was just stacks of money and he paid me out, 80,000, it was a huge amount of money, he said. Elon Musk has made a name for himself as the world's wealthiest man. Alex Kasprak is an investigative journalist and science writer reporting on scientific misinformation, online fraud, and financial crime. Copyright TESLARATI. While the bill must pass through the Senate before it becomes law, if enacted it changes a portion of the Spanish criminal code dealing with animal abuse that was last updated in 2015. Elon Musk is once again denying claims that his family owned an emerald mine a claim that he himself perpetuated back in 2014. . AFP via Getty Images Reich said Musk "came from a family that owned an emerald mine in Apartheid South Africa." While the money was streaming in, Errol acquired a lot of properties such as a yacht, a private jet, posh houses, and the likes . The Onion, of course, is referring to the emeralds.. Errol Musk was alleged to own an emerald mine in apartheid-era South Africa. Errol Musk, among other things, fathered children with his own step-daughter! We will discuss Andrew Tates arrest and Elon Musks fathers emerald mine. This is going to talk about the reaction to that reporting and make a few more points about media literacy. "The fake emerald mine thing is so annoying (sigh)," Musk tweeted over the weekend. The definitive Internet reference source for researching urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation. Im Mason Pelt, and Ill be your soyfaced-cuck or guide; I dont care how you think of me. The Local , 10 Feb. 2023, https://www.thelocal.es/20230210/seven-key-points-from-spains-new-animal-welfare-law/. Storyful 23h. This button displays the currently selected search type. Its a question that has stumped writers and reporters for years, and will apparently continue to do so as long as Elon remains a fixture in the zeitgeist. If you want articles like this in your inbox subscribe on Substack. FAQs. The other series of this channel are more interesting, IMO, dealing with technical and legal/moral aspects of the projects, rather than personal stuff, alghough there's something relevant in questioning the faade of rags-to-riches supergenius. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. What We Know About Elon Musk and the Emerald Mine Rumor. On Musk, he said, "Elon Musk came from a wealthy family that owned an emerald mine in apartheid South Africa." Musk had previously dismissed the emerald mine narrative in March 2021 and said . At least one valid email address is required. A Twitter user claimed in December 2019 that Elon Musk's "privileged upbringing" included his father, Errol Musk, "who owned an . This article is actually accurate: https://t.co/eVpCX9V1NB. He stated that he arrived in Canada with CA$2500 and paid his own way through college. The duo reportedly was spotted at the football final between Argentina and France. Included in the post is a screenshot a 2014 Forbes interview conducted by freelancer Jim Clash in which Musk, then more broadly considered a wunderkind, shared an off-handed anecdote about his now-estranged father Errol Musk's alleged mine. Business; Politics; Military; Elections; Law; Immigration; Technology. But you dont have to believe, BBC, CNN, Reuters, Business Insider, Forbes, Esquire, or Snopes blindly or even believe the entire article. Musk, seemingly a sensitive soul, didnt like that at all. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images), Creating 1960s Greenwich Village For The Sign In Sidney Brusteins Window, Review: Children Of The Corn Reboot Improves Franchise, Inside How Remedy Place, The First Social Wellness Club, Works To Help Musicians And Artists With Self Care, The Mandalorian Feels Like The Diet Coke Of Star Wars, Best Travel Photographer Of The Year: 22 Inspiring Winning Photos, Behind The Sweltering Sounds Of Broadways Some Like It Hot, Xespansione Handcrafts Luxury Leather Goods For Men, Women, And Mans Best Friend, Lincoln Center Kicks Off Year-Long Celebration Of Multi-Talented Musician Terence Blanchard. This view was articulated in a blog post by Francisca Gutirrez Jimez, a lawyer and president of the Canarian Network of Lawyers for Animal Welfare and the Environment: The need for veterinary treatment to cure injuries is introduced for the "criminal type" of abuse, relegating injuries that heal by themselves to a minor offense with a fine. Theyre in agreement that he is not a pleasant man to be around but have declined to elaborate. When Vance reached out to Errol himself, he only responded via email. Despite the rabid fandom that has formed around Elon the man behind Tesla, SpaceX, The Boring Company and other endeavors attempting to turn science-fiction into reality his dad remains an enigma, a sort of fairy-tale creature trotted out merely as evidence of his sons privileged upbringing. . Think of the riddle where you must ask directions from two men, one who always tells the truth, the other who always lies. 1. Elon Musk is the chief executive of Tesla and SpaceX. Certainly, the media is not always so deceptive or factually inaccurate as to be fully disregarded. This is a BETA experience. Whiskey connoisseur? According to the Twitter flag, Musk claimed in 2014 to Forbes that he had an emerald . Errol Musk, father of billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk. Sometimes, a story will take off despite being untrue, especially when the reporting is in near real-time. Many would walk past him without a second glance. Through the years, Elon Musk gained huge popularity in the media and online. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com. We had so much . On Feb. 9 2023, the lower house of the Spanish Congress passed a bill amending a portion of that nation's criminal code regarding animal abuse. "I did interview Elon, he said what he said, and I dont know why theyd take it down," Clash told us in an interview. Opponents argue that the new language of the law potentially downgrades the severity of crimes that could theoretically include bestiality. My travels in the weird corners of cyberspace have shown over and over that those most skeptical of the media are often the least media literate. The Babylon Bee features headlines that frame Musk as the superhero he clearly wants to be, such as Elon Musk Rescues Texans With Giant Flamethrower Mech, or California Police Attempt To Arrest Elon Musk's Holographic Decoy As Real Musk Escapes On Rocket To Mars.. I expect that a pilot based in South Africa with a job involving travel was critical to the venture. USAFacts provides COVID-19 data pulled exclusively from government sources and presents it for all Americans without spin or bias. A common story about Musk on social media is that his father owned part of an emerald mine, providing a bedrock of wealth that buoyed Elon up to his current level of success. He is the father of business magnate and billionaire Elon Musk, restaurateur Kimbal Musk, and filmmaker Tosca Musk.He was married to Maye Musk and also to Heide Musk, with whom he has two children . However, this one was real. So we had this planeload of contraband and an overdue passport from another person. By the age of 30 [1976, Elon was 5 at this time ], the serial entrepreneur [Errol] was already a millionaire and was married to Maye Haldeman. You may opt-out by. "Perhaps," wrote The Local, "the focus should be on whether the Spanish government is about to pass another ill-thought-out, ambiguous law which will, to some extent, have the direct opposite effect of what it was intended to do." Denver Post Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon via Getty. His father, Errol Musk, had a casual attitude towards the family's considerable wealth, including the stones . Errol Musk, Elon's father, reportedly purchased an owning stake in a Zambian emerald mine during the mid-1980's, according to Business Insider. Some added links to the tweet, which ended up sparking a context warning to Elon's post. Where is this bs coming from?, However, Errols involvement in a lucrative mining operation and Elon having to pull himself up by his bootstraps are not mutually exclusive. "Elon Musk just announced he is buying General Motors," one YouTube video falsely claimed. Since at least 2018, a rumor has circulated about Elon Musk in regard to his father's purported past ownership of an "apartheid emerald mine" or "slave emerald Written by: Jordan Liles. There's an epic amount of bullshiat Musk has done that he should be called out for, but the "owning an emerald mine" isn't one of them. "Seven Key Points From Spain's New Animal Welfare Law." This is important because the parents divorced in 1979, nine years after getting married, and it wasnt until the mid-1980s that the emerald mine in question came into the picture. In the interview with Mail on Sunday, Errol admits that hes a philanderer, saying, I had a very pretty wife, but there were always prettier, younger girls. https://www.congreso.es/es/busqueda-de-iniciativas?p_p_id=iniciativas&p_p_lifecycle=0&p_p_state=normal&p_p_mode=view&_iniciativas_mode=mostrarDetalle&_iniciativas_legislatura=XIV&_iniciativas_id=121/000118. # ? Tweet screenshots are easy to fake. The details of the mine stem from stories published on Business Insider South Africa from journalist Phillip de Wet that rely on Errol Musks personal account. I was 15 and really wanted to go with him but didnt realize how dangerous it was. This is a step backwards with respect to the current Penal Code that punishes the injury that occurs and also does not exclude psychological injuries that could be caused to the animal as a result of mistreatment. But the counterpoint to the obvious fact that the Musks were well off financially, especially considering their status as a white family in apartheid South Africa, is that Elon, his siblings, and Maye had to free themselves from Errols abusive relationship. Elon Musk, apartheid and emerald mines in Africa Musk responds to 'The Onion' . Like where exactly is this thing anyway!? . Just think about how unlikely it is that dozens of media outlets made up quotes from thin air for public figures, their lawyers, and law enforcement bodies. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. However, this image is not a photograph of him. Like everything about this story, that just serves to further complicate the whole debacle, though if we were to wager a guess as to why Musk now claims his family never owned any mines, it would be similar to Marx's: that he thought it was cool to brag about it back in 2014, but it's significantly less politically expedient to do so now. Twitter flags that reveal Musk claimed his dad DID in fact own an emerald mine. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. This is important because the parents divorced in 1979, nine years after getting married, and it wasn't until the mid-1980s that the emerald mine in question came into the picture. According to the elder Musk, he shot and killed three people who broke into his house in Johannesburg, a crime for which he was reportedly charged with manslaughter but eventually acquitted on the basis of self-defense. If you have any tips, email us attips@teslarati.comor reach out to me atmaria@teslarati.com. Elon, and Errol Musk have given interviews talking about an emerald mine in the past. We will discuss Andrew Tate's arrest and Elon Musk's father's emerald mine. He didnt own an emerald mine & I worked my way through college, ending up ~$100k in student debt. If I had to make a bet, Id bet that an emerald mine existed in Zambia. In 2019, Elon Musk confronted the Twitter talking point about his fathers supposed emerald mine head-on, writing, He didnt own an emerald mine & I worked my way through college, ending up ~$100k in student debt. Musk's father Errol said, "We were very wealthy. They fear the future, mistrust the present, and invoke the security of a comfortable past which, in fact, never existed.". I couldnt find my passport so I ended up grabbing my brothers which turned out to be six months overdue! Musk had a stake in Tesla from the beginning. These claims drew a sharp response from Elon Musk. By Musk's telling, he 'twas but an 'umble street urchin with a talent for coding; his father, Errol, who at one point co-owned a Zambian emerald mine, once said: "We had so much money at . Answer (1 of 5): Not Tesla or Apple or Dell, Microsoft, HP and every manufacturer that uses batteries in their products, not directly. https://snopes.com/news/2022/11/17/elon-musk-emerald-mine/ 27 Feb 2023 17:44:02 At the . All rights reserved. "They act like theyve never heard of it before, even though he bragged to Forbes about it in 2014.". Yes, his life with his mom was hard at times. You cannot assume everything any or every media outlet tells you is true. A recurring theme on social media is the claim that Errol Musk owned an emerald mine and paid for his son's "privileged upbringing and education." Elon denies that story. Tequila fanatic? Nov 17, 2022 A story about Musk's father once owning an emerald mine evolved into a larger rumor that had no . Not to mention the fact that the claim clashes with the image of Musk being a self-made billionaire, a titan of industry who seeks to transcend humanity into a space-faring civilization; that narrative rings a little hollow when one thinks of Musk as some trust fund baby. This is going to sound slightly crazy, but my father also had a share in an Emerald mine in Zambia. Proyecto de Ley Orgnica de Modificacin de La Ley Orgnica 10/1995, de 23 de Noviembre, Del Cdigo Penal, En Materia de Maltrato Animal. As with other outlandish Muskian claims, there is, of course, another possibility: that he (or his father) completely or partially made it up for clout, and Elon is now backtracking because the concept of a white South African co-owning an emerald mine has the stench of apartheid regardless of the specifics. Musk had to address the falsehoods people concluded from the articles after a Twitter user shared BIs 2018 article in The Onions tweet. "Like where exactly is this thing anyway!?". https://www.abogacia.es/en/publicaciones/blogs/blog-de-derecho-de-los-animales/reforma-del-codigo-penal-en-materia-de-maltrato-animal-asi-no-gracias/. Its not as though we suddenly started doing something.. Elon Musk sets record straight on emerald mine and apartheid narrative, FL Mayor pursues federal funding for Boring Company tunnels in Miami, Tesla Supercharger Network hits new milestone in Europe amid ongoing expansion. Much of his family's wealth came from an emerald mine in Zambia owned by Errol Musk, Elon's father. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. "Almost every evil thing you could possibly think of, he has done," Musk had told Rolling Stone during an interview in 2017. A narrative surrounding Elon Musk is that his dad owned an emerald mine in apartheid South Africa and that money from that mine was used to fund Elon Musk as he built up his business empire. Man, it must suck being so hard done-by. This Town Is One of the South's Best-Kept Secrets, 21-Year WhistlePig, A Sub-Dial Timex Marlin and the Most Cushioned Hoka Ever, Introducing: The Marathon 46mm Arctic JDD, 21 Dopamine-Inducing Sneaker Deals to Ease You Into the Weekend, The Best Air Purifier for Every Type of Home, Its Your Last Chance to Take $700 off the Mirror, Fullys Sale Is the Home Office Furniture Blowout Youve Been Waiting For. Categorized as a derecho, the long-lived windstorm included dangerous winds and prompted severe thunderstorm and flash-flood warnings in parts of South Dakota. Garbage and recycling rules are the same, more p. But how much truth is there in the stories? From an article in Business Insider South Africa, the part in quotation marks is said by Errol Musk (father of Elon Musk). Advertisement: Advertisment: Company. According to Vances book, Errol Musks family has lived in South Africa so long that they claim an entry in Pretorias first phone book. Musk is not reticent about his allegiances either, telling the Mail on Sunday, I refuse to live [in the U.S.]. It also turned the sky green. Human-AI Interaction Is A Partnership Based on Blind Trust, Should I Use Twitter? In the event that they produce injuries, they will be considered crimes; in the rest less serious offenses they will be classified as abuse without visible signs of injury (maltrato de obra). Young, Joshua. Errol has said he owned half of an emerald mine in South Africa, per BI South Africa, . He did not call him mighty Elon, either. Second, the Tesla CEO isnt keen on the idea that journalists and prominent outlets, like Business Insider, can get away with printing false narratives. 99% of start ups get government subsidies (Photo by FREDERIC J. Fact Check: Elon Musk Makes Bizzare Claim That His Father Didn't Own an Emerald Mine. The Local, 21 Feb. 2023, https://www.thelocal.es/20230221/fact-check-no-spain-has-not-legalised-bestiality/. Kouri was a Canadian real estate developer, with business ties and connections that the brothers did not have. Jeff Bezos, who famously started Amazon in his garage, was funded by a quarter-million dollar investment from his parents. And Musk, according to the US politician and professor, comes from a family that owned an emerald mine in Apartheid South Africa. Copyright e-Eighteen.com Ltd All rights resderved. Hence, on Thursday, The Onion released a satirical piece that described the source of Musks multi-billion fortune in a single word - apartheid. The Twitter users comment did not seem to be satirical. Hence, The Onions apartheid joke flew a little too close to the sun, and Musks temper exploded like a SpaceX rocket. But his dad did in actual fact have a half share in a Zambian emerald mine for 6 years. If this half of an article is a small glimpse into the apartheid mines his family owned haha even the Onion tells more truthful stories than CNN and Fox https://t.co/K70RPdJV6S. By the end of it, he owed over $100,000 in student debt, said Musk. The next day multiple media outlets (BBC, Reuters, CNN ) reported quotes from both spokespersons for Romanias investigation and Eugen Vidineac, a lawyer for Tate, confirming that Tate, his brother and two others would be held for 30 days. This is why people are switching to @TheBabylonBee! Musk wrote. A narrative surrounding Elon Musk is that his dad owned an emerald mine in apartheid South Africa and that money from that mine was used to fund Elon Musk as he built up his business empire. Elon Musk's college sweetheart is auctioning off the billionaire's college mementos - some that had bids of more than $10,000 on Monday. Musk was South African, which was under apartheid at the time, so the likelihood is that someone referred to it as "apartheid-era emerald mini. We analyzed newspaper archives and other evidence to piece together facts. The relevant section mandated a prison sentence for individuals who submit domestic animals to sexual exploitation: A prison sentence of three months and one day to one year and special barring from carrying out a profession, trade or commerce related to animals and for the keeping of animals for the term of one year and one day to three years shall be imposed on those who, by any means or procedure, unfairly mistreat, causing injuries that seriously damages its health or by submitting it to sexual exploitation: b) An animal that is usually domesticated; c) An animal that temporarily or permanently lives under human control, or; d) Any animal that does not live in the wild. First, Musk might be concerned about the moral implications people might draw from emeralds mined during apartheid in South Africa. Some have speculated that Musk's father Errol helped him a lot in his early days, a rumor complicated by Musk and his father's acrimonious relationship. And that involved parties wanted to document the ownership of the mine, or gemstones produced by the mine, in the same way people want to document ownership of kilos of cocaine. If I could have another child I would. snopes.com. The Onion, a satirical publication, shared an article on Twitter titled The Richest Person In Every State And How They Made Their Money. In the tweet, The Onion stated that the wealthiest person in Texas was Elon Musk, who made his money through apartheid. Here's Elon bragging to Forbes about the emerald mine (original article has been deleted by Forbes, but the way back machine still has it): web.archive.org. I cannot defend all those working under the auspices of journalism as pure of intention. He lies about his education. Nov 17, 2022 A story about Musk's father once owning an emerald mine evolved into a larger rumor that had no . Normally those records are corrected after the frenzy. In 1964, Robert F. Kennedy said, There are people in every time and every land who want to stop history in its tracks. Screenshot: Gizmodo / RR Auction. We will discuss Andrew Tates arrest and Elon Musks fathers emerald mine. It didn't seem like he knew who she was, though. Elon Musk casually walked around with valuable emeralds in his pockets. Dive into the stats and data on all things COVID-19 and explore metrics including daily case counts by county, health risk factors, and more.. Musk thinks his father is "evil" Elon Musk was born in apartheid-era South Africa in 1971, the son of Errol, who at the time was the partial owner of an emerald mine in Zambia. In large part, this controversy is caused by imprecise language. Is it profit worth 100x the value of the bottom employee - probably not. Contact Us. Since acquiring Twitter in October 2022, Tesla's Elon Musk and his actions as the social platform's new CEO have been the subject of myriad news stories, rumors, memes, and online discussions. Of course, that tale sound prettier than he was from a rich white family from the Apartheid SA, emerald mine and slaves owners, ritch enough to even went to the Pretoria Boys High School, to good USA Colleges and fund his dotcom . Errol Musk (born 1946) is a South African electromechanical engineer, pilot, sailor, consultant, and property developer who was once a co-owner of a Zambian emerald mine near Lake Tanganyika.. Many of the images attempt to show Zelenskyy in situations that compromise his stance as a wartime president. Tesla co-founder and CEO Elon Musk stands in front of the shattered windows of the newly unveiled [+] all-electric battery-powered Tesla's Cybertruck. It is often claimed that Musk's father, Errol Musk, once owned shares in a Zambian emerald mine, and that Musk subsequently enjoyed an . Learn all about the latest and greatest spirits. What We Know About Elon Musk and the Emerald Mine Rumor. But is the clip genuine? 0. And awesome. So Kouri came in as a co-founder and mentor for the boys. Elon Musk hit out at an American professor who claimed that the Tesla chief's family owned emerald mines in Apartheid-era South Africa . If you contradict certain figures, like Andrew Tate or Elon Musk, using the media, legions of accounts will appear to disregard the reporting. Rating: False. Robert Reich, Berkeley professor and Former United States Secretary of Labor, posted a video about the myth of self-made billionaires. Reportedly, Musk used to casually walk around the streets of New York with emeralds in his pocket, which sounds like it should be Thanos origin story. He lied about holding his dying child. But if the entire media is BroBible, we are truly in the end times. In response to claims that the changed law allows for bestiality, representatives of the Social Rights Ministry, which was a driving force behind the amendment, told media outlet El Diario that: All sexual acts with animals will be punishable. Snow Report: The 20 Greatest Cocaine Scenes in Movie History, The Legacy of "M*A*S*H" And TV's Best Series Finales, Elon Musk Has Had Many Scandals, Hes Just Never Faced Any Real Consequences, To Understand Elon Musk, You Must First Get to Know His Mother, Elon Musk Is the Ultimate Armchair Epidemiologist. Clearly, Elon Musk doesn't like being mocked. The solution is only possible because both men are 100% consistent and know the correct answer. So the fact that the proposed new text doesn't appear to specifically state that all sexual acts on animals should be considered a crime but rather only the ones that cause physical harm to the animals has been picked apart as apparent proof that bestiality will become legal in Spain. Lets take a look at a few of the more eyebrow-raising claims that have cropped up surrounding Mr. Musk in recent years. The Forbes writer, Clash, told us he was unsure why the magazine had taken the interview down. In response to my article I received, without exaggeration over one hundred replies on Twitter saying that Andrew Tate was not in jail. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 21, 2022. ORGANIC ACT 10/1995, DATED 23RD NOVEMBER, ON THE CRIMINAL CODE. I have seen a lot of bias and always wondered if somehow it stemmed from the Bezos rivalry or the auto industry rivalry as it never seemed rational. His companies Tesla and Space X have helped him build an amazing net worth of over $297 . Photo by Birger Strahl on Unsplash. So Kouri came in as a co-founder and mentor for the boys. As MailOnline wrote in 2018, Errol described the pregnancy as an accident, but said both Jana and their son were living with him though they werent in a relationship. . Did you understand the humor behind those headlines? Reproduction of news articles, photos, videos or any other content in whole or in part in any form or medium without express writtern permission of moneycontrol.com is prohibited. Answer (1 of 6): Like everybody else who has answered you, I don't know much money Elon Musk has inherited, besides the $28,000 he and his brother used of his father's money to start their first internet business (the equivalent of $47,500 today). The latest Tweet by snopes.com states, 'Since at least 2018, a rumor has circulated about Elon Musk in regard to his father's purported past ownership of an "apartheid emerald mine" or "slave emerald mine." We analyzed newspaper archives and other evidence to piece together facts. Advertisment: Since at least 2018, a rumor has been shared online about Tesla CEO and Twitter owner Elon Musk in regard to his father's purported past ownership of an "apartheid emerald mine" or . In the video, Tom Brady appears to throw the ball so accurately that it squeezes perfectly in between the two spinning wheels of the machine that the machine spits the ball out in a perfect spiral. As the change still needs approval from the Senate and remains subject to modification, only time will tell if that will be the case. By Feb. 19, several . By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. But that doesn't make every profit wage theft. Fact check: Did Elon Musk inherit apartheid money from his South African father? In 2018, Elon Musk and his family were linked to apartheid in South Africa after Business Insider (BI) published articles stating that the Tesla CEOs father owned half a share of an emerald mine in Zambia. Not like That, Thanks. All rights reserved. Musk is far from self-made. Elon was born on June 28, 1971, to Errol and his wife Maye Musk when they were both in their 20s. It ceases being about money for a while, then later on it continues: [] the stories that Musk tells about these early years living in the office and whatnot seem to be mostly for dramatic effect, since their rich father gave them 28 000 towards getting this venture going, at a time when the minimum wage in California was 4.25. Zambia wasn't under apartheid. He lies about being the founder of Tesla. June 29, 2022; seattle seahawks schedule 2023; psalms in spanish for funeral In early January 2023, readers asked if a rumor was true that said Twitter owner Elon Musk had bought Google. Did Elon Musk Just Make the Case for a Green New Deal? In recent tweets, Musk has revealed some fresh information that refute these . 1. The Tech Weekender | Latest developments in world of technology this week, US FDA reportedly denies Neuralink approval to conduct human trials, Laid off Twitter employee who slept on office floor in viral pic: 'Businesses are not families', Unlocking opportunities in Metal and Mining. If this is half of an article is a small glimpse into the apartheid mines his [family-owned] haha even [T]he Onion tells more truthful stories than CNN and Fox, commented @howlpolitically. The surprise announcement, coming three years after his daughter was reportedly born, begs the question: Will the now 76-year-old procreate again? You read that . Elon Musk came from a family that owned an emerald mine in Apartheid South Africa. Yeah, I thought this write up was quite thorough and it does pretty much kill the narrative that has been going around about the blood/conflict emeralds and that Elon built his companies using family wealth. Pete Wharmby. The link goes to the video at the start of the debunk of the rags-to-riches claims.