Tesla CEO Elon Musk has made headlines following his remarks about his transgender daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, whom he claims was “killed” after receiving gender-affirming care. Musk made these assertions during an interview with psychologist and conservative commentator Jordan Peterson, where he expressed his intentions to “destroy the woke mind virus.”
Musk, who oversees multiple companies, referred to gender-reassignment surgery as “child mutilation and sterilization.” He mentioned that Wilson came out as transgender at the age of 16 and underwent gender-affirming care during the pandemic. He stated that he felt misled when he signed documents regarding Wilson’s care, referring to her as one of his “older boys,” and expressed concern for her mental health at the time, noting he had been told she might consider suicide.
He criticized the medical process for children who are below the age of consent, agreeing with Peterson that it is “incredibly evil,” and suggested that those advocating for it should face imprisonment. Musk, a father of 12, claimed he was not properly informed that puberty blockers could lead to sterilization, despite the fact that puberty blockers alone do not impact fertility.
Musk described his feelings of loss over the changing identity of his child, using the term “deadnaming” to express that his son, as he once knew him, is “dead.” His comments about his daughter come shortly after he announced that X and SpaceX would relocate to Texas, citing California’s AB1955, legislation that restricts schools from notifying parents if their child identifies as transgender and aims to support LGBTQ+ children.
In the past, Musk has faced criticism for his views on transgender issues. Wilson sought a name change and new birth certificate in 2022, indicating she does not wish to maintain any legal relationship with her father. Musk attributes the deterioration of their relationship to Wilson’s progressive schooling, a theme noted in Walter Isaacson’s biography of him, which also suggests that this estrangement has influenced Musk’s outspoken anti-woke sentiments.
Musk’s political stance has shifted in recent years from center-left to increasingly conservative, advocating for a range of right-wing perspectives, including on diversity, electoral integrity, and immigration. Recently, he endorsed the Republican presidential campaign involving former President Donald Trump and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, both of whom support traditional energy sources and oppose clean energy initiatives.