One evening in late 2024, in a small seafood restaurant in California, Vivian grimaced at the plate of oysters in front of her. "They smell like the sea, how can I eat this?", she said, quickly taking a sip of her cocktail. She admitted it had been a long time since she'd had such an "expensive" dinner.
Vivian's revelation paints a picture of her life far different from what one might imagine for the daughter of billionaire Elon Musk.
Her parents divorced when she was 4. Vivian attended Mirman School in Bel Air and later Ad Astra, a school Musk founded for his children and SpaceX employees. There were no grades at Ad Astra, and the focus was on science and technology. In the early years, the four Musk siblings made up almost half the student body.
For high school, Vivian transferred to Crossroads in Santa Monica, where she studied alongside the children of A-list celebrities. "But I wasn't popular, and I didn't talk to anyone", she said.
At 16, she publicly transitioned, marking a significant turning point in her journey of self-discovery. A year later, Vivian filed a petition to change her name and gender, taking her mother's last name instead of Musk. In the court filing, she stated her desire to sever all ties with her father.
Musk initially claimed to support his daughter's privacy. However, in 2024, he publicly criticized the ideology he believes negatively influenced his daughter, calling it the "woke mind virus".
"The woke mind virus involves sharing perverse political identities, amplifying racism and sexism. It makes people hate society and hate themselves", Elon Musk said.
The already strained father-daughter relationship grew more distant. Vivian described her father as temperamental, inconsiderate, and narcissistic.
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Elon Musk's daughter, Vivian. Photo: Cruz Valdez |
Elon Musk's daughter, Vivian. Photo: Cruz Valdez
Vivian insists she does not benefit from her father's wealth. "I don't have hundreds of thousands of USD to spend. I just have enough for food, a place to live, friends, and a small income", she said. She considers this fortunate compared to many people her age in Los Angeles.
Currently, Vivian lives with friends, manages her own finances, and sometimes worries about tuition, rent, and daily expenses. "I have no desire to be rich. I just want a stable and normal life", she stated.
Her family situation has made Vivian the target of attacks from groups on social media. She has been repeatedly mocked and subjected to transphobic abuse.
"A lot of people distort my words. But I have no choice but to move past it", she shared.
Amid the criticism, she has also received support. Vivian has appeared in fashion campaigns, graced the cover of teen magazines, and dabbled in art. However, she admits to struggling to be seen as a normal person.
"I want people to know me for something else, not just because of my father", Vivian said.
Nhat Minh (According to The Cut, Metro)
