Maye Musk’s self-reliance and determination have helped her achieve success in both her personal and professional life. She is the mother of three extremely successful 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren, including Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of SpaceX, Tesla, and the social network Twitter/X
Rise from poverty
Maye Musk was 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. At the age of 2, she moved with her family to South Africa. In 1970, she married engineer Errol Musk and they had 3 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren. However, this marriage turned into a nightmare when she was abused by her husband. After divorcing her husband in 1979, she brought her 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren back to Canada and raised the 3 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren by herself.
Maye Musk and the book “Living Riskily Carefully”
Although her ex-husband’s family was very wealthy, Maye had to raise her 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren with nothing. Working many hard jobs, combined with her beautiful appearance, had put her in many difficult, if not dangerous, situations. When her 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren had a better chance of studying, she accepted that they (Elon and Tosca) would return to live with her ex-husband, because at that time she could not provide the best conditions for their education.
Ms. Maye and Professor Francis Petersen, Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State in South Africa, at the ceremony to award her an honorary doctorate in April 2023.
All the sacrifices have paid off, as her eldest son, Elon Musk, is one of the richest people in the world today; her younger son, Kimbal, co-owns Tesla as well as a chain of restaurants and a sustainable food project; and her youngest daughter, Tosca, owns her own entertainment company.
“It’s never too late to succeed”
Anticipating that modeling would not be a long-term career, she chose to continue her education. She studied dietary science in Afrikaans and earned a bachelor’s degree with distinction. In 1983, she went on to earn a master’s degree in nutritional science from the University of Toronto.
Model, nutritionist and author Maye Musk
Maye Musk became the oldest spokesperson for CoverGirl cosmetics at the age of 69. In April 2023, she received an honorary doctorate from the University of the Free State in South Africa for her achievements as a nutritionist.
Recently, Maye Musk was also honored with the 2023 WIBA Award – an award honoring the most influential figures in social media and the title of “Most Influential Woman in the World”.
“A strong woman is a woman who is happy with herself”
Maye Musk’s father was a famous doctor at the time but always lived a modest life. In addition, her family was full of adventure, so from a young age, she was exposed to a strong, optimistic, responsible and hard-working lifestyle. This greatly influenced her personality.
Mrs. Maye with her three 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren when they were young.
Maye inherited her mother’s optimism and self-confidence. Like her mother, she claims that she is not afraid of aging. The model stopped dyeing her hair at the age of 60 and let it grow naturally. As a nutritionist, she always emphasizes the importance of following a proper diet and exercise.
For Maye, self-love comes from accepting herself and making taking care of her health a top priority.
Maye Musk chooses a healthy lifestyle, maintaining love for herself, her family and her work. She opposes age discrimination against women and always believes that “a strong woman is a woman who is happy with herself”.
Maye Musk holds the WIBA Award at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival
Thanks to that, the U80 female model still shines with her beautiful white hair, confident demeanor, healthy body, and a bright smile always on her lips.
Take care of 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren, not babies
When asked about the secret to raising successful 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren, Maye Musk shared: “Teach your 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren good manners but let them decide what they want.” She encourages independence in her 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren by letting them choose what they need to study, how to do their homework, and wants them to understand that they have to take responsibility for themselves.
The model said that she was too busy to take care of her 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren. Maye took that opportunity to teach her 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren the importance of hard work, as her parents had taught them.
Former model and billionaire Elon Musk’s son on the red carpet of Met Gala 2022
Elon taught himself programming, his daughter Tosca worked as a model trainer with her mother when she was 8 years old, and even helped her mother write documents and letters for her job as a nutrition consultant.
Applying to college and managing tuition fees are also the 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren’s own tasks, without her intervention. These things not only help the 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren learn to be independent early, but also give her time to take care of herself as well as other aspects of family life.
“Many parents are easily overstressed about their 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren. I don’t treat my 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren like babies. There’s no need to let them avoid responsibility. My advice is to let them make their own decisions because they have to take responsibility for their own future,” said Maye.