Tesla CEO Elon Musk made controversial remarks regarding his estranged transgender daughter during an interview with conservative commentator Jordan Peterson. Musk claimed that his daughter was “killed” by gender-affirming care, further expressing his desire to combat what he termed the “woke mind virus.”
In the discussion, Musk described gender-reassignment surgery as “child mutilation and sterilization.” He shared that his daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, underwent gender-affirming care during the pandemic and came out as transgender at the age of 16.
Musk lamented feeling misled when he signed documents related to his daughter’s care, discussing concerns about her mental health at the time. He expressed regret stating, “I lost my son, essentially,” and criticized medical practices that he believes are affecting minors without proper consent.
His comments came shortly after announcing plans for his companies, including Tesla and SpaceX, to move operations to Texas, citing opposition to California’s AB1955 legislative act. This law prohibits schools from requiring parental notification if a child identifies as transgender and mandates support for LGBTQ+ children.
Musk’s daughter has publicly distanced herself from him, applying for a name change in 2022 to disassociate from her biological father. Musk has attributed the strained relationship to his daughter’s progressive schooling, suggesting that it has influenced her views and rejection of him.
Once recognized for centrist political views, Musk has increasingly embraced right-wing rhetoric, particularly around issues like diversity, immigration, and election integrity, recently endorsing the Republican party’s presidential candidates.