According to People, "Musk", a documentary about the tech billionaire directed by Alex Gibney, premiered in select US theaters on 9/10. Beyond discussing Elon Musk's career, the project delves into the entrepreneur's personal life through the perspectives of many who know him, including his first wife, Canadian novelist Justine Wilson, 54.

Alongside the story of their marriage, Justine drew attention by revealing more details about the conflict between the "tech titan" and his transgender child, Vivian – a topic that has garnered significant media interest in recent years.

* Trailer for the film "Musk"

Justine Wilson and Elon Musk married in 2000 and divorced in 2008. They had six children, though their first son passed away at just 10 weeks old. In 2004, they welcomed twin boys, Griffin and Xavier. Sixteen years later, Xavier came out as transgender via an Instagram Story post.

In Teen Vogue in 2025, Xavier (who later became Vivian) expressed regret for not telling her mother about coming out sooner, despite her strong support. Her father, however, did not react positively to her decision. According to the documentary, Justine recounted that Elon Musk once asked her to convey to Vivian that he would always love his daughter. Yet, he cut her health insurance the following day after she confirmed her identity as part of the LGBTQ+ community.

At 18, Elon Musk's eldest child filed a petition with the court to legally recognize her female gender, change her name to Vivian Jenna Wilson, adopting her mother's surname, and declared that she "did not wish to be related" to her father in any form. In June, Vivian walked out of an interview in Spain when a reporter asked for her feelings about her father.

US billionaire Elon Musk in Krakow, Poland, 1/2024. Photo: AFP

Over the years, the father and child have openly criticized each other. Musk once described his child as "gay, a bit autistic" in a post on X. During a 2024 program, he claimed Vivian tricked him into signing medical care documents related to her transition, stating that his son "was killed by the woke ideology virus". According to Merriam-Webster, "woke" refers to being actively aware of social issues such as racism, gender inequality, and LGBTQ+ discrimination.

Justine Wilson stated that Vivian was heartbroken upon hearing her father speak of her in such a way. "By speaking out to the world, Elon Musk let her know his views. Elon never tried to mend the father-child relationship; that's not his nature. If a relationship has to fall apart, it will fall apart", she said.

Not long after Elon Musk's interview, Vivian appeared on NBC News, responding to her father's accusations. Vivian declared that his statements were "lies" because she first came out with her sexual orientation in 8th grade, and Musk had always known about the "side effects" of her medical interventions. From 2020 to 2024, Vivian revealed they did not speak, and her father was only present for about 10% of her childhood.

According to novelist Justine, the two were not on good terms even when Vivian was young. Among the five siblings, Vivian was the most stubborn and headstrong, and Elon Musk tended to impose his will on his children. When she was 6, Musk once told her that in this world, there are only winners and losers, asking Vivian who she wanted to be. "His implication was: 'If you don't listen to your father and do what I say, you will become a loser'", Justine explained.

Portrait of Elon Musk's transgender daughter, 22. Photo: Instagram Vivian Wilson

Since severing ties with her billionaire father, Vivian Jenna Wilson has worked to build her own career. She is currently a model and transgender rights activist, with over 1,5 million followers on Instagram. Recently, she has walked numerous runways for major brands such as Alexander McQueen, Gucci, and modeled for singer Rihanna's lingerie brand, Savage x Fenty. Earlier this year, she was part of the model lineup for New York Fashion Week.

Also in Teen Vogue, Vivian stated that she has been financially independent since she was 16, studied abroad, and speaks multiple languages including French, Spanish, and Japanese. Early in 2024, she returned to Los Angeles after one and a half years of study at Komazawa University in Tokyo. In 5/2025, she debuted in the modeling world with a photoshoot for the fashion brand Wildfang. Before that, she had appeared in several other magazines, opening opportunities to become a professional model. Prior to entering the fashion world, her dream was to become a translator.

In The Cut in 2025, Vivian stated that she has no desire to be super rich. "Right now I have enough money to buy food. I have friends, a place to live, and disposable income. This life is good and luckier than many people my age in Los Angeles", she said.

Despite her efforts to distance herself from her father, Vivian is frequently referred to as "Elon Musk's child" in news articles and posts everywhere. In an interview with Cosmopolitan in April, she said there was nothing she could do about this situation, so she learned not to care. For Vivian, her background is just one part of her life story; it does not define her future.

Elon Musk, 55, is currently the world's richest person with a net worth exceeding 1,000 billion USD, according to Forbes data on 11/10. He owns or operates several businesses across various sectors, including SpaceX (a rocket development company), the social network X (formerly Twitter), and electric car manufacturer Tesla. He has 14 children with three women. In addition to Justine Musk, he has three children with singer Grimes, four with Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis, and one son with Gen Z author Ashley St. Clair.

Phuong Thao (via People)