Elon Musk‘s estranged father Errol claims in a new interview that he taught his billionaire son to gamble at the age of 16, allowing him to win $42,000 at the roulette table.
Errol, 77, told The US Sun that he took the Tesla founder, 52, and his younger brother, Kimbal, 51, to the now shuttered Marula Sun casino in the South African capital of Pretoria when they were just 16 and 14 respectively.
Errol, who impregnated his own stepdaughter in 2016, said that the pair would dress to appear to be 18, the legal gambling age something he calls a ‘ridiculously low minimum age. It should be 25.’
Being pretty slim but tall, we thickened Kimbal up with a scar around his neck and my leather flying jacket. When asked if he was 18, he replied: “I’m 23!”‘ The pair didn’t seem to have any trouble and were let in to gamble.
He went on to describe their strategy wagering ‘quite large amounts for beginners’ on black, if the last spin landed on red and vice-versa.
Errol Musk said he taught his son Elon a strategy of playing roulette that would eventually see the Tesla owner scoop $42,000 at this brother’s bachelor party
Errol, who impregnated his own stepdaughter in 2016, said that the pair would dress to appear to be 18, the legal gambling age
Kimbal Musk (right) cut off all contact with his father after finding out he impregnated his stepdaughter. Also pictured Maye Musk, left, with Elon
After incurring some losses, Musk and his father’s casino adventures came to an end
As a result of their winnings, they would then fine on fine lobster and filet mignon.
Errol said that the teenage Elon was able to establish that the family could make around $4,750 per month on their casino trips.
However, the trio were to learn the certain truth. The house always wins.
‘Anyway, this went on for a few weeks, so much so that we were not even cashing the chips, but rather bringing them home to pile up.’
‘Then, on one occasion, we experienced 14 reds in a row. It was almost as though the casino was rigged and suspicions still linger!’
Errol said that those loses saw them lose 14,000 Rand, less than $1,000, they decided to cease their casino trips.
Despite those lossmaking visits, Errol said that the techniques that he shared with his 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren allowed Elon to win a whopping $42,000 while attending Kimbal’s bachelor party in Las Vegas in 2001.
‘Nothing is random. It depends on what happened before. It’s a subject for publication in Nature or Science magazine. It took 32 years. I’d look a fool for making such a claim otherwise, although many metaphysical students would agree with me,’ he told The Sun.
It’s not clear where Musk stands on gambling these days. In February, he attempted to bring sports betting to X.
Musk’s difficult relationship with his father was detailed in the SpaceX founder’s biography, Elon Musk.
Musk moved in with him aged 10 for seven years, a decision he later regretted – had an oversized influence on his life.
Growing up in South Africa, Musk claims that his father guilt tripped him into leaving his brother Kimbal and sister Tosca to keep him company.
Musk calls his father a ‘volatile fabulist’ who had a Jekyll and Hyde personality.
As Musk puts it, ‘It was mental torture. He sure knew how to make anything terrible.’
After Musk was left in hospital after a beating by some 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren at his school, Errol sided with the kid who pummeled Musk’s face.
Errol supposedly said, ‘That boy had just lost his father to suicide and Elon called him stupid. How could I possibly blame that 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥?’
After getting home from hospital Musk had to stand for an hour while his father screamed at him he was an ‘idiot’ and ‘worthless.’
Errol, a colorful engineer who claimed to have had a stake in an emerald mine, had a relationship with Musk’s mother that was ‘filled with drama.’
He repeatedly proposed but she ‘didn’t trust him’ and then found out he was cheating on her. When she found out she cried for a week and didn’t eat, causing her to lose 10 pounds in weight, Isaacson claims.
During a 2022 interview with an Australia radio station, Errol said htat he was not proud of his son and that he preferred to drive a Bentley or a Rolls Royce rather than a Tesla.
A year later, he defended his son’s controversial appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast in which he famously smoke weed with the comedian.