Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur, has attributed his estranged relationship with his transgender daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, to her education at a prestigious California school, which he claims indoctrinated her with a "woke mind virus.'
Musk, who is the CEO of X, formerly known as Twitter, and the founder of SpaceX, has absolved himself of any blame for the familial rift, instead pointing fingers at the Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences in Santa Monica.
According to an excerpt from the forthcoming biography "Elon Musk," published in the Wall Street Journal, Musk's acquisition of the social media platform was partly motivated by his daughter's transition and subsequent ideological shift. The excerpt, penned by author Walter Isaacson, reveals that Musk initially reacted with equanimity to Wilson's decision to transition. However, the relationship soured in April 2022 when Wilson adopted Marxist beliefs and severed all ties with her father.
In 2022, Wilson legally changed her gender and name, a move she hoped would sever any association with her biological father. Musk, whose net worth is estimated at $257.5 billion, said, "She went beyond socialism to being a full communist and thinking that anyone rich is evil."
Musk expressed that the estrangement from his daughter has caused him more pain than the loss of his firstborn child, Nevada, in infancy. Despite his attempts to mend the relationship, Musk lamented, "Ive made many overtures, but she doesnt want to spend time with me."
Musk partially attributes Wilson's ideological shift to her education at Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences, an institution attended by various celebrities including Jack Black, Maya Rudolph, and Zooey Deschanel. The school, which Musk ironically labels as "communist," charges up to $50,000 per student annually for tuition.
Isaacson's excerpt also highlights Musk's belief that Twitter had been infiltrated by a similar mindset that suppressed right-wing and anti-establishment voices. This belief was a contributing factor to Musk's decision to purchase the social media platform in a $44 billion deal in April 2022. Musk, who referred to himself as the "fire-breathing dragon" that Twitter needed to succeed, finalized the acquisition six months later, citing the defense of free speech as his motivation.
This is not the first time Musk has criticized educational institutions for the discord with his daughter. In October, he claimed that "neo-Marxists" had taken over elite schools and liberal universities, teaching students to despise the wealthy.
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