If only Elon Musk could expand his family as effortlessly as he manages to alienate people. Recent surveys reveal that his approval rating in the U.S. is approaching the low levels he’s experienced in the UK for quite some time. As someone from a country that has lived through Boris Johnson’s leadership, I feel compelled to alert Americans: if a public figure dodges questions as basic as “How many kids do you have?” it might be a sign of looming disappointment. And it might be a red flag. If his former partners form a WhatsApp group bigger than Mumsnet and significantly more irate, you might just be dealing with someone who could leave you feeling let down.
Is Musk that person? It’s hard to say for sure, especially given the formidable team of lawyers Mr. Free Speech employs. I know Musk identifies as a “pronatalist,” but I’m increasingly inclined to think this might just be a modern label for a very old kind of irresponsibility. Imagine his ex, Grimes, publicly pleading on Musk’s social media platform for him to contact her regarding a “medical crisis” involving one of their children. She wrote, “I’m not giving any details but he won’t respond to texts, calls or emails and has skipped every meeting…so I need him to respond urgently.” These postings were either removed or are now inaccessible, with one user suggesting Grimes had been “shadowbanned.” Silly Grimes. Had she included a controversial remark, it likely would have stayed posted.
Similarly, Ashley St Clair, purportedly the mother of Elon’s most recent child, made a deleted post saying, “Elon, we’ve been attempting to reach you for several days with no reply. When will you respond to us instead of publicly addressing accusations from a person who just shared photos of me at 15?”
Ah, I’m starting to understand “pronatalism.” I’ve had my doubts since Elon declared, “Instead of teaching fear of pregnancy, we should teach fear of childlessness.” Either way, it seems to involve instilling fear in women. Fear of assuming responsibility prematurely, fear of failing to populate the Earth, and fear that when you depend on him to navigate the daunting territory of parenthood, he’ll be performing on a conservative conference stage with a chainsaw, shouting, “CHAINSAW!”
Coincidentally, that’s precisely where Elon was, hidden behind indoor sunglasses, when Grimes sent her message. The power tool was handed to him by the Argentine president, who has something of a bygone rock band manager aesthetic.
It’s unclear which of Grimes’s children with Musk is facing the alleged urgent medical issue. She reportedly has three, including X Æ A-Xii, or X for short. You might remember X, the child Musk paraded around the Oval Office with reporters and Donald Trump, possibly grooming him as his successor, reminiscent of Musk Jong-un. In many ways, Kim Ju-ae, North Korean leader’s daughter, mirrors little X’s circumstance, both facing rocket launches and rooted loyalty to Russia.
As we witness Musk’s personal life in sharper, somewhat unsettling detail, it feels like this further dims his appeal. Initially, a figure like Elon, absent of traditional charm, might have realized that silence could have been his most captivating and awe-inspiring move. Instead, we hear: CHAINSAW!
Meanwhile, St Clair is seeking full custody of the child allegedly his. Parenthood can crystallize priorities. Before, everything seemed simple, and “rocket babies” sounded fun. Then reality hits, and she sends him a picture of their newborn from the delivery room, only to receive a curt, “All well?” Ouch. Other alleged messages from Musk submitted in court claim he avoids her and the child because, “I’m #2 after Trump for assassination… This is not the time for sentiment over safety… Only the paranoid survive.” Hmm. Maybe I’ll adopt this line for any parenting duties I wish to sidestep this year. “Sorry, someone else needs to handle your health appointments and, well, life, because only the paranoid survive. I pay for it, don’t I? What’s the difference?”
But there is a difference, isn’t there? I’d love to believe this man will steer an era-defining change that improves lives globally. But change often starts at home, and if Musk doesn’t wield his metaphorical chainsaw to create domestic bliss, it might be time to acknowledge the warning signs were there all along.
