Elon Musk's college lover is auctioning off mementos from billionaire ex
Elon Musk’s college sweetheart is auctioning off the Tesla CEO’s mementos, with some items going for thousands of dollars.
Well, one woman's trash is another man’s treasure, we guess.
New York Post reported that Jennifer Gwynne, who attended the University of Pennsylvania with the billionaire and dated him in the mid-90s, is selling never-before-seen photos of Musk via Boston-based RR Auction.
Gwynne’s collection includes 18 candid photos of a baby-faced Musk long before he became one of the world’s wealthiest men.
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According to his ex-lover, these pictures show a much lighter side to the billionaire.
She told PEOPLE: "I think these items are a snapshot of who Elon was just before he started to conquer the world.
"The photos show his less serious side — his silly, come-play-with-me attitude which would pop up now and then. His everyday quiet intensity was really what attracted me to him initially... I'm a sucker for tall, blonde, and nerdy."
Many images show Musk as a young economics student while hanging out with fellow students in his dorm.
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One picture is of Musk and Gwynne during a trip to San Francisco Bay, shortly before the relationship fizzled.
She disclosed on the auction site: "Elon was not very good at a long-distance relationship. Talking on the phone seemed like a waste of time to him - NOT what a 20-year-old woman wants to hear."
"We broke up soon after I left San Francisco and headed back home to Rhode Island. I’ll go on the record that it was a mutual breakup, as I honestly don’t remember getting dumped," she said.
Among the items is a birthday card signed by Musk, which reads ‘Happy Birthday Jennifer (aka Boo Boo), love Elon’, which is currently going for $US 10,000 (AUD $14,510, £8,560) with 23 bids.
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Gwynne told Inside Edition that Musk had written the card, hoping to reveal a more affectionate side to his then-girlfriend, as she admitted ‘he wasn’t into PDA, not a big hand holder’.
She also told that outlet that even back then, she caught glimpses of Musk’s vision for the future.
"He would talk about electric cars, he would talk about alternative fuel sources," Gwynne said.
The ex-lover is also auctioning off a 14k gold necklace with a small green emerald from a Zambian mine owned by Musk’s father, Errol, a South African property developer, as per Bloomberg.
Charisa Bossinakis