Errol Musk, the 79-year-old father of tech billionaire Elon Musk, has been accused of sexually abusing five of his children and stepchildren since 1993, according to a New York Times report published on Tuesday.
The allegations may explain why Elon Musk rarely mentions his father, the report said, citing family members who have reached out for help, prompting the Tesla CEO to sometimes intercede. Errol Musk dismissed the claims as 'nonsense' and 'false', telling the Times they were 'absolute rubbish'.
The earliest accusation dates to 1993, when his four-year-old stepdaughter told relatives he had touched her at the family home. A decade later, the same stepdaughter said she caught him sniffing her dirty underwear. Other family members have accused him of abusing two of his daughters and a stepson.
Three separate law enforcement investigations were opened, according to police and court records. Two ended without action, while the outcome of the third is unclear. Errol Musk accused family members of 'putting the children up to say false things' and attempting to extort his eldest son.
Elon Musk has previously described a difficult relationship with his father, telling Rolling Stone in 2017 that his father had done 'almost every evil thing you could possibly think of'. He said he went to live with his father at age 10, a decision he later regretted, adding: 'My dad will have a carefully thought-out plan of evil.'
