A seismic revelation has rocked the narrative surrounding Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, as his mother Maye Musk’s 2019 memoir, A Woman Makes a Plan: Advice for a Lifetime of Adventure, Beauty, and Success, unearths harrowing details about his childhood in Pretoria, South Africa. Far from the polished image of a tech visionary, the book paints a picture of a young Elon navigating a volatile home marked by abuse, financial struggle, and resilience, offering a new lens on the forces that shaped the Tesla and SpaceX founder.

Maye Musk, a renowned model and dietitian, details her nine-year marriage to Errol Musk, an engineer she describes as physically, financially, and emotionally abusive. Married in 1970, the couple had three children—Elon, Kimbal, and Tosca—in rapid succession. Maye recounts a chilling incident when five-year-old Elon attempted to intervene during Errol’s abuse, hitting his father’s knees to protect her, while his younger siblings cowered. “I was relieved that he stopped when they were young enough that they might not remember,” she wrote. The memoir reveals Errol’s controlling nature, isolating Maye from her family and punishing her for professional interactions with men.

After divorcing Errol in 1979, Maye faced dire financial straits as a single mother in Durban. The family lived hand-to-mouth, surviving on peanut butter sandwiches and bean soup in cramped apartments. Elon, at 10, chose to live with his father, a decision Maye attributes to manipulation by Errol’s mother, who guilt-tripped him about leaving his father alone. This period, marked by Errol’s wealth contrasted with Maye’s poverty, strained family ties, with Elon returning to her home on weekends. Despite these challenges, Maye fostered independence, encouraging Elon’s early coding passion, which led to him selling a game, Blastar, at 12 for $500.

The memoir also highlights the Musk family’s adventurous spirit, inherited from Maye’s parents, who flew them across the globe in a prop plane. This instilled in Elon a “desire for exploration,” evident in his later ventures. However, Errol’s troubling influence, including his alleged support for apartheid and antisemitic views, has sparked debate about its impact on Elon, though Maye emphasizes her children’s self-reliance.

Social media has erupted over these revelations, with X users praising Maye’s resilience while others question Elon’s silence on his father’s abuse. The memoir reshapes perceptions of Musk’s drive, revealing a childhood forged in adversity. As his public persona faces scrutiny, these insights into his formative years suggest a complex interplay of trauma and ambition, leaving readers to ponder what’s next for the enigmatic billionaire.