Maye Musk, mother of billionaire Elon Musk, is no stranger to discomfort. Born in Canada, raised in South Africa, she grew up charting maps across the Kalahari, sleeping beneath the stars with lions nearby. Her father’s motto—“Live dangerously, carefully”—became a compass for life.
Today, despite her global modeling career and best-selling books, she’s known as “Elon’s mom.” But wealth hasn’t softened her; when visiting her son’s $45,000 home near SpaceX’s Texas site, she sleeps in the garage without complaint.
Elon, one of the richest men on Earth, owns massive stakes in Tesla, SpaceX, xAI, and formerly Twitter (now X). Yet in 2020, he pledged to shed all material possessions. His main home is a tiny unit rented from SpaceX—no mansion, no extravagance.
His values are echoed by Maye, who tells reporters matter-of-factly, “You can’t have a fancy house near a rocket site.” She adds, “He’s not interested in possessions.”
Her statement reflects not just Elon’s philosophy, but a shared family resilience. “Mattresses on floors, couches, blankets—we adapt,” she tweeted. Her strength lies not in luxury, but in legacy.
