A 2010 Marie Claire essay written by Elon Musk's first wife, Justine, resurfaced after the Tesla founder received backlash for criticizing Vern Unsworth, the man who helped rescue the Thai soccer team stuck in a cave. He called him a "pedo" in a now-deleted tweet, and Unsworth is now considering legal action against Musk, CNN reported Monday.
Justine called herself Musk's "starter wife," writing about his lack of emotion and how their relationship soured as soon as they married. Once supportive, it turned competitive. "As we danced at our wedding reception, Elon told me, 'I am the alpha in this relationship.' I shrugged it off, just as I would later shrug off signing the postnuptial agreement, but as time went on, I learned that he was serious," she wrote.
When the couple lost their first child to sudden infant death syndrome, Musk refused to grieve. "I didn't understand this, just as he didn't understand why I grieved openly, which he regarded as "emotionally manipulative," she wrote.
The postnuptial agreement Justine signed might be considered fraudulent, according to her lawyer. Musk allegedly failed to report millions of dollars made through the merger of X.com, which created Paypal.com, but because of the mediation confidentiality clause in the Musk's relationship, Justine is not allowed to mention anything spoken between the couple in a court of law.
"I had no time to research mediation, or learn that it rarely serves the interest of the less powerful person in the relationship," Justine wrote. "Years later, I came to learn these things. But two months after our wedding, I simply signed the postnuptial agreement. I trusted my husband—why else had I married him?"
The couple has five children together. She communicates with Musk's assistant to co-parent.
Musk is the founder of SpaceX and Tesla, among other projects. His net worth is estimated at $24 billion, according to Time. He is currently dating Canadian alternative musician Grimes.
To those Silicon Valley mountains of tech manliness who "fear" being outwitted + eviscerated by the so-called founder hounders: be someone who offers *other* reasons to stay with you: kindness, right relationship, healthy intimacy, a commitment to joy.
— Justine. (@justinemusk) July 12, 2018
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Kelly started a career in journalism after completing her education at The New School in New York City. She currently ... Read more
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