Elon Musk and Justine Wilson’s divorce: How much money Elon Musk gave his first wife, Justine Wilson in their 2008 divorce settlement? Read on to find out more.
Elon Musk may want to head to Mars (isn’t that a familiar billionaire story), but he’s also always got “love” on his mind, per CheatSheet. Despite welcoming a daughter with Canadian singer Grimes last year, Musk has not been able to write the formula for a happy marriage. Perhaps this explains why he and Grimes have yet to announce they are engaged.
Musk has been married three times, twice to the same woman — British actor Talulah Riley — and first to his college sweetheart, Justine Musk, for eight years. Riley reportedly received $20 million from their divorce settlement (per Your Story), while Justine received a heck of a lot more as the mother of his five sons.
The Canadian author has written extensively about their divorce and transactional-type marriage, in which she felt like Elon’s “trophy wife.” During a profile piece for Marie Claire in 2010, Justine wrote that “Elon pushed me to be blonder” and that he was “obsessed” with his work.
“It was a dream lifestyle, privileged and surreal. But the whirlwind of glitter couldn’t disguise a growing void at the core. Elon was obsessed with his work: When he was home, his mind was elsewhere. I longed for deep and heartfelt conversations, for intimacy and empathy.” While Justine and Elon tried couples counseling for a month, ultimately it did not work out. Instead of finding the “intimacy” she craved, Justine focused on getting her money’s worth from the marriage — and she certainly got some bang for her buck.
I’m pretty sure you’ve got itching ears to read more about Elon Musk and his first wife, Justine Musk’s divorce but before that, let’s know how they meet, when they got married, the number of children they have, and how much money Elon paid Justine in their divorce settlement.
Elon Musk and Justine first met at the university when they were both students
Elon Musk first met Jennifer Justine Wilson when they were both students at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada.
She recalls how he approached her one afternoon outside her dorm and then asked her out for ice cream. While she agreed to the date, Justine later decided to blow him off in favor of studying. Despite this, Elon showed up, “smiling awkwardly, two chocolate-chip ice cream cones dripping down his hands. He’s not a man who takes no for an answer. ”Save” I Was a Starter Wife”: Inside America’s Messiest Divorce, Marie Claire Magazine: Justine Musk Interview on Divorce from PayPal Founder Elon Musk.
She and Elon had gone their separate ways before divorcing and money got them back again
Justine Wilson wanted to become a writer, a career far from Elon’s world of science and numbers, and on one of their dates, she told him: “One day, I want my own books to go right there”. This ambitious passion further drew Elon to Justine, leading him to tell her that “. After Justine obtained her degree in English Literature, she left for Japan to teach English as a Second Language for a year. By that time, she and Elon had gone their separate ways.
But that was far from the end of their relationship. Elon and Justine eventually reconnected. Elon was more successful by this time, and one of the ways he wooed Justine was by giving her his credit card so that she could buy as many books as she wanted. “No man could have said anything sweeter”, she recalls.
Elon and Wilson married in January 2000
Elon Musk and Justine initially met at Queen’s University when they were both students. Musk is said to have fallen in love with Justine after seeing her on campus. However, when Musk began courting Justine and inviting her on dates, she was skeptical. Later, Justine eventually caved in due to his persistent nature.
The now-divorced pair went on a few dates before Justine chose to go to Japan, ending their relationship. However, when she returned to Canada, the couple reconnected. According to Justine, Musk was very romantic at the time. Elon Musk even gave her his credit card on one of their dates and told her to buy as many books as she likes.
After a few months of living together in Silicon Valley, Justine suggested that they get married. Musk agreed, and the two married in the year 2000.
Elon and Wilson lost their first child, Nevada, to a syndrome in 2002
Two years after Elon and Wilson married, they had their first child named Nevada Alexander Musk. The couple’s first child was born in 2002 and died ten months after sudden infant death syndrome. Elon spent more time at work to cope with the trauma of losing their first child. Justine, on the other hand, dealt with the loss by planning to have more offspring.
Elon and Wilson in total have five children, twin sons, and triplet boys
Not wanting to take any risk after their first child, Nevada died, the pair sought help from an in-vitro fertilization clinic. In 2004, Justine gave birth to twins Xavier Musk (now called Vivian Jenna Wilson) and Griffin Musk. The twin boys are 17 years old now. Moreover, in 2006, she gave birth to triplets Saxon Musk, Kai Musk, and Damian Musk. Their triplets are 16 years of age as of 15 March 2022.
Elon Musk filed for divorce in late spring 2008; the former couple have joint custody for their five children
Although everything appeared fine to the outside world, the former Musk couple were having internal conflicts and always arguing.
Furthermore, two months before their wedding, Justin Musk’s ex-husband made her sign a postnuptial agreement, stating it was not a prenuptial arrangement. Elon reminded her he was the alpha of their relationship even during their first dance at the wedding.
In an interview, the author later revealed that she was aware of Musk’s aggressive conduct at the time but didn’t think much of it because she trusted him and his decisions.
Elon’s drive to compete and conquer his business caused his marriage to deteriorate. Hence, just a few months after their wedding, a unique dynamic began to emerge between the couple. Elon’s judgment was always superior to Justine’s, and their decisions revolved around his opinions.
While relationships generally change over time, Justine Musk said there were “warning signs” from the beginning. At their wedding, Justine said Elon Musk told her, “I am the alpha in this relationship,” per Marie Claire. Despite shrugging the idea off at the time, she eventually came to realize how true it was. She accused him of being condescending and said she “felt insignificant in his eyes.”
Justine Musk’s ex-husband would constantly point out her shortcomings, to the point where the author had to remind her then-husband that she was his wife and not his employee. The author did not expect Elon to inform her that he would fire her if she worked for him.
“‘If you were my employee,’ he said just as often, ‘I would fire you,'” Justine wrote for Marie Claire. After one month of failed couples counseling, Justine said Elon gave her an “ultimatum.” “Either we fix this marriage today or I will divorce you tomorrow, by which I understood he meant, Our status quo works for me, so it should work for you.” Well, Elon did file for divorce the next day and despite Justine feeling “strangely relieved,” she endeavored to get her fair financial share.
Elon Musk filed for divorce in late spring 2008 after giving Justine an ultimatum to either fix or end it. The couple eventually got joint custody of their five children. Justine later said that she did not regret getting married or the divorce and made peace with it.
Justine is keeping Elon’s last name for the sake of their five kids after their divorce
Despite their initial happiness, the pair eventually went on to divorce. Justine felt that she had turned into a mere trophy wife and that Elon didn’t see her as his equal. By 2008, they were divorced. For the sake of their kids, Justine kept Elon’s last name. They shared custody of their five children, though Justine communicates with him through his assistant.
How much did Elon Musk pay Justine Wilson in their divorce settlement?
After Justine and Elon Musk got divorced in 2008, The New York Post called it one of the most expensive divorces of all time. Elon clarified their divorce proceedings to Business Insider, writing he initially offered Justine an $80 million settlement, which she turned down. the author reportedly received $170K on average monthly legal fees. Elon also pays $20,000 per month for clothing, shoes, and other expenses. Justine also received the family residence in Bel Air where she resides with her children.
Justine sought a Tesla Roadster, 5% of SpaceX stock, $6 million in cash, and 10% of Tesla stock as part of her divorce settlement.
