• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Elon Musk's Mum Hits Back At Claims He Grew Up Sheltered From South African Apartheid

Home> News

Updated 04:57 6 May 2022 GMT+1Published 04:46 6 May 2022 GMT+1

Elon Musk's Mum Hits Back At Claims He Grew Up Sheltered From South African Apartheid

Musk's Twitter takeover has been compared to his life growing up in an apartheid South Africa and Maye Musk isn't impressed.

Rachel Lang

Rachel Lang

Elon Musk's mum has hit back at an American news outlet for criticising her son.

The tech billionaire's $44 billion Twitter takeover has been cross-examined by The New York Times, with an article calling into question his hopes to bring free speech to the platform after growing up in apartheid-state South Africa.

The article from the news outlet claimed: "Elon Musk’s impending takeover of Twitter has many people probing his public statements and his past for clues about how he will shape one of the world’s most influential public platforms.

"But Mr. Musk, best known for owning the companies Tesla and SpaceX, has not talked much in public about a significant swath of his past: How growing up as a white person under the racist apartheid system in South Africa may have shaped him."

In the article, The NYT interviewed Musk's relatives and classmates, revealing that the Tesla CEO grew up in communities shrouded in misinformation that influenced its residents. 

Advert

"We were really clueless as white South African teenagers. Really clueless," a former classmate told the NYT.  

The article told how white South Africans that were hoodwinked by the government's propaganda campaign, with newspapers arriving to readers with whole sections blacked-out.

But, ultimately, it suggested growing up in this environment may have shaped Musk's view of the world and therefore Musk's intense defence of free speech on Twitter.

The article, headlined 'Elon Musk left a South Africa that was rife with misinformation and white privilege', has ruffled feathers around the globe.

Advert

Elon's mother hit back at the accusation and wrote on Twitter: "In South Africa, if you publicly opposed apartheid, you went to jail.

"In Russia, if you publicly oppose the war, you go to jail. @nytimes, are you going to blame children for decisions made by governments?"

Well, it just goes to show that even if your son is a 50-year-old tech billionaire, mothers will always defend their young.

But it wasn't just Maye Musk who was upset at the article.

One social media user said: "Ah yes, the 10-year old Elon must be held responsible for the evils of Apartheid because he bought Twitter 30 years after the end of Apartheid. All makes sense."

Advert

A second added: "The New York Times: 'Elon Musk didn't end apartheid in South Africa as a child, therefore he is evil now.'"

A third said: "I can't believe Elon thought it would be a good idea to be born in apartheid South Africa. A baby with a stronger moral character would have refused to come out until they moved to a more equitable nation.

Musk has put freedom of speech as one of the big focuses for his takeover of Twitter.

Featured Image Credit: Sipa US / Alamy Stock Photo. UPI / Alamy Stock Photo

Topics: News, Elon Musk

Rachel Lang
Rachel Lang

Rachel Lang is a Digital Journalist at LADbible. During her career, she has interviewed Aussie PM Malcolm Turnbull in the lead up to the 2016 federal election, ran an editorial campaign on the war in Yemen, and reported on homelessness in the lead-up to Harry and Meghan’s wedding in Windsor. She also once wrote a yarn on the cheese and wine version of Fyre Festival.

X

@rlangjournalist

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

3 hours ago
4 hours ago
  • 3 hours ago

    Major DB Cooper update as FBI releases 400 pages of classified documents on rogue skyjacker

    Almost 400 pages of DB Cooper documents show how the FBI just could not find this guy

    News
  • 3 hours ago

    Garage owner unsure if penis still works after manhood was crushed by car in shocking footage

    Let's all take a moment to sympathise with his plight

    News
  • 4 hours ago

    Cans of ‘Pornography Beer’ raise awareness about new rule changes

    You’ve probably been there ... ordering that next pint at the pub, only to be asked to prove your age.

    News
  • 4 hours ago

    Pippa Middleton was turned away from Wimbledon's elite royal box after breaking major rule

    The sister of the future queen of England was reportedly turned away from the elite seating area

    News
  • Elon Musk hits back at claims he's trying to create a 'legion' of kids
  • Elon Musk's daughter hits out at 'pathetic man-child dad' who she hasn't 'made a dollar' from
  • Famous author claims she gave birth to Elon Musk's 13th child 5 months ago
  • Elon Musk hits back at woman who ‘had his 13th child’ claiming he has paid her $2.5 million in child support