Elon Musk, the world’s richest man today with a net worth of over USD 342 billion as per Forbes 2025 list, also had a difficult childhood. Very few people know that once, even Elon Musk was scolded badly by his father because of an incident from his school days. This story goes back to the 1980s, when Elon’s parents got divorced. After the separation, Elon decided to live with his father, Errol Musk. During that time, Elon was studying in a wilderness school, a school located away from the city.
One day, he got into a fight with one of his classmates. The fight turned very violent and Elon was pushed down the stairs and beaten badly. He was so injured that he had to be admitted to the hospital for treatment.
What led to the fight?
One morning during the school assembly, Elon Musk accidentally bumped into a boy while walking with his friends. Musk pushed the boy back, and this led to trouble later. At lunch, the boy and his group went looking for Elon. While he was quietly eating a sandwich, they attacked him from behind and kicking him in the head and pushing him down the stairs. The group then sat on him and continued beating him badly.
The attack left Musk’s face so swollen that his eyes could hardly be seen. He was rushed to the hospital and could not return to school for a week. Years later, he even had to undergo surgery to repair damaged tissue inside his nose.
But the physical pain was nothing compared to the emotional hurt caused by his father, Errol Musk. Instead of supporting his son, Errol blamed him. When Elon came home from the hospital, still in pain, his father scolded him and even sided with the boys who had beaten him.
Elon recalls, “I had to stand there for an hour while he screamed at me and told me I was completely worthless.” Elon says his father would scold him for hours, making him stand in one place. It was mental torture. Musk was shocked when he learned that his father had two children with his stepdaughter Jana Bezuidenhout.
Later, his father explained that the boy Elon had fought with was already going through a tough family situation. In fact, that boy’s father had taken his own life. This made the situation even more sensitive, and Errol wanted Elon to understand the seriousness of it.
Although Elon Musk carries painful memories of his father, Errol Musk, he does not ignore the important role his father played in shaping him. Errol was the one who introduced him to the basics of physics, engineering, and construction. These early lessons became the foundation on which Musk later built groundbreaking companies such as Tesla and SpaceX.
Despite the strained relationship, Musk has openly admitted that his father’s teachings gave him something priceless. In his own words: “The things my father taught me are far more valuable than money.”
This lesser-known childhood story shows that even Elon Musk, despite his later success, went through painful experiences, strict lessons, and tough moments while growing up. It was part of what shaped him into the determined and resilient person he is today.
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