Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated that he feels his estranged transgender daughter was “killed” after she received gender-affirming care, leading him to pledge to combat what he describes as the “woke mind virus.” Musk made these remarks during an interview with psychologist and conservative commentator Jordan Peterson.
During the interview, Musk, who oversees several companies including X, criticized gender-reassignment surgery as “child mutilation and sterilization.” He mentioned his daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, who came out as transgender at 16 and received gender-affirming care during the pandemic.
Musk expressed that he was misled into signing documents related to Wilson’s transition, stating this occurred during a time of confusion due to the pandemic. He claimed he was led to believe that his child was at risk of suicide.
He further argued that such procedures are conducted on children who are under the age of consent, agreeing with Peterson that promoting these practices is “incredibly evil” and suggested that advocates should face imprisonment. Musk, a father of 12, has voiced concerns regarding fertility and underpopulation, claiming he was not adequately informed that puberty blockers are essentially sterilization drugs, despite evidence indicating that puberty blockers do not, by themselves, affect fertility.
Musk lamented, “I was tricked into doing this. I lost my son, essentially,” explaining that the term “deadnaming” reflects his loss, as it symbolizes the death of his son in a familial sense.
These comments come shortly after Musk announced plans for his companies, X and SpaceX, to relocate to Texas in response to California’s AB1955 or SAFETY Act. This legislation prohibits schools from notifying parents if their child identifies as transgender and mandates that the State Department provide resources for LGBTQ+ youth. Musk has faced accusations of transphobia and promoting anti-trans narratives in the past.
In 2022, Wilson sought a name change and a new birth certificate, indicating in court documents her desire to no longer have any relationship with her biological father. Musk has attributed the rift in their relationship to Wilson’s progressive educational environment in Los Angeles, as detailed in Walter Isaacson’s biography, which connects Musk’s “anti-woke sentiments” to his estrangement from his daughter.
Over the last few years, Musk has shifted from his previous center-left political stance to embrace more right-wing viewpoints on various topics, including diversity initiatives and election fraud. Recently, he endorsed the Republican presidential ticket of former President Donald Trump and Senator J.D. Vance, both of whom support the oil industry and oppose clean energy initiatives.