Tesla CEO Elon Musk expressed controversial views regarding his transgender daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, claiming that she was “killed” after receiving gender-affirming care. Musk’s comments were made during an interview with psychologist and conservative commentator Jordan Peterson, where he declared his intent to confront what he calls the “woke mind virus.”
Musk referred to gender-reassignment surgery as “child mutilation and sterilization” and revealed that his daughter came out as transgender at the age of 16, having received gender-affirming care during the pandemic. He stated he felt misled into signing documents concerning his child’s care, expressing concern over the mental health risks indicated at the time.
Highlighting his skepticism towards gender-affirming treatments for minors, Musk stated that such procedures are performed on children who are not yet of legal consent and agreed with Peterson that those advocating for these practices should face legal consequences. Musk claimed he was not made aware that puberty blockers, commonly prescribed to transgender youth, are effectively sterilization drugs, although it is noted that puberty blockers alone do not impact fertility.
Musk’s outspokenness comes shortly after he announced that X and SpaceX will relocate to Texas, citing California’s AB1955 legislation, which restricts parental notification when a child identifies as transgender and mandates state support for LGBTQ+ youth. Musk has faced allegations of promoting anti-trans messaging in the past.
Wilson, in 2022, applied for a legal name change, stating a desire to dissociate from her biological father completely. Musk has attributed their strained relationship to her progressive education background, as noted in Walter Isaacson’s biography, framing the estrangement as a catalyst for Musk’s anti-woke rhetoric.
In addition to these personal issues, Musk’s political stance has shifted noticeably to the right in recent years, moving away from his previous center-left views towards supporting Republican ideology, including endorsing former President Donald Trump and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, both of whom advocate for fossil fuels over renewable energy sources.