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Vivian Wilson

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For other people named Vivian Wilson, see Vivian Wilson (disambiguation).

Vivian Wilson
Selfie of Vivian Jenna Wilson. She is a young white woman with long blond hair wearing a black top, standing in a garden in view of the sun.
Wilson in 2025
Born (2004-04-15) April 15, 2004 (age 21)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Parents
FamilyMusk
TikTok information
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Followers1.5M
Likes18.4M
Instagram information
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Followers509K
Updated: June 10, 2025

Vivian Jenna Wilson (born April 15, 2004)[1] is an American social media personality and model.[2] A member of the Musk family, she is the eldest daughter of businessman Elon Musk and his first wife, Justine Wilson. Wilson came out as a transgender woman in 2020, and was featured in Teen Vogue in 2025.

Early life and gender identity

Wilson was born on April 15, 2004, in Los Angeles, California,[3] to South African–born businessman Elon Musk and his first wife, Canadian author Justine Musk (née Wilson).[4] She was conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF); her father reportedly used sex-selective IVF to ensure she would be a boy.[5] Wilson stated that her father was often absent, "cold", "quick to anger", "uncaring", and "narcissistic." Additionally, he often harassed her for displaying "femininity and queerness".[6][7] Musk, separately, shared anecdotes of her as a child, stating that Wilson was "born gay and slightly autistic" and used to "pick out clothes for me to wear like a jacket and tell me it was 'fabulous!'"[8] Wilson rejects her father's anecdotes, describing them as an attempt to characterize her as a camp gay man.[8][9] Wilson's parents divorced in 2008, and agreed to share custody of her and her other siblings.[10] She attended the Crossroads School in Santa Monica.[11][12]

Coming out

Wilson came out as transgender via a publicly posted Instagram story in 2020. In an interview with Teen Vogue in 2025, she expressed regret for not telling her mother first. Reportedly, her mother was very supportive of her transition and was not surprised when Wilson came out. Her father was not as supportive, and according to Wilson, she had not spoken to him in months, but required his permission for her to begin testosterone blockers and hormone therapy.[13] Wilson began her treatment for gender dysphoria in 2020, which she states her father did not initially support.[1] However, she was already distancing herself from him at this time.[13]

In June 2022, at the age of 18, a California judge approved her request to change her legal name (taking her mother's maiden name[14]) and gender on her birth certificate[14][1] after she applied in the Los Angeles County Superior Court.[15] In the petition for the changes, Wilson stated she no longer wished to be related to Musk "in any way, shape, or form".[15][16]

Public image

Wilson is standing in a dimly lit street in Tokyo, wearing dark clothing and with her hair down covering her face and torso. The photo overall has an omninous feeling.
Wilson is known for her "extremely online" personality.

In 2025, Wilson was featured on the cover of Teen Vogue.[13][17]Teen Vogue described Wilson as "extremely online", and "really good at it": she is outspoken about transgender issues, which she has noted she feels "obligated to talk about", and has described the state of American politics in 2025 as "terrifying".[13] Wilson has spoken at length about her political views, describing herself as a leftist while rejecting characterization as a Marxist. She has expressed support for universal basic income, free healthcare, reducing wealth inequality, and food, water, and shelter as human rights.[13][1] When asked if her upbringing influenced her politics, she said "Seeing that kind of wealth – extravagant wealth – firsthand, while living in Los Angeles and seeing the [huge] homelessness problem, the wealth gap ... You start to wonder, how is this fair?"[13]

Wilson has been vocally critical of Musk's actions and supportive of transgender rights.[18][19] Following the result of the 2024 United States presidential election, Wilson voiced her intention to emigrate from the United States in the future.[20] After Musk's controversial gesture at Donald Trump's inauguration that has been described as a Nazi salute, she proclaimed "let's call a spade a fucking spade".[21][22][23]

Personal life

Wilson studied in Tokyo, Japan, before returning to Los Angeles for modeling in May 2025.[24] Prior to achieving prominence, Wilson had hoped to work as a translator, and had been studying French, Spanish, and Japanese to that end. Since then she has considered other possibilities, including Twitch streaming.[13][25] She and her mother are on good terms.[13] Wilson has four full siblings: a twin brother, Griffin, and three younger brothers who are triplets, named Kai, Saxon, and Damian.[26]

Criticism of Walter Isaacson's Musk biography

Wilson has criticized the biography Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson as inaccurate and unfair to her. Her portrayal has been described as that of "an angry, rebellious child, blinded by radical anti-capitalist ideology and hurting her father with her rash decisions".[13] The book also notably referred to her as "Jenna". Isaacson sourced his claims to Christiana Musk, the wife of Elon Musk's brother Kimbal Musk, but never contacted Wilson before printing the claims. Isaacson claims to have reached out to her through family members.[1] Disputing this particular claim, Wilson described the book as "genuinely defamatory", saying that it deliberately avoided including any testimony by her to frame her existence as "a villain-origin backstory" for her father's rightward political shift.[27][28] Wilson alleged that "[Isaacson] had an agenda when writing his book, which was to make Elon look good, or look more complex than he is. In order to do that, he needed to villainize the trans teenager and make it seem like there were two reasonable sides to the story".[13]

Relationship with father

Wilson has described her father as "a pathetic man-child", and has been financially independent from him since she first came out as transgender in 2020.[29][30]

In October 2022, Musk blamed his estranged relationship with Wilson on "neo-Marxist" influences due to the unspecified "elite university" she attended.[31] In a July 2024 interview conducted by Jordan Peterson, Musk spoke negatively of Wilson's transition and deadnamed her. He said he was "tricked" into granting her request for gender-affirming treatment, as California law required his permission since Wilson was under 18 at the time. Musk ultimately described her as having been "killed by the woke mind virus" in conjunction with her transition.[1][6] Musk has said that Wilson's gender transition is primarily what sparked his drive to "destroy the woke mind virus".[32][33] Walter Isaacson's biography of Musk argued that some of his far-right views were "partially triggered" by Wilson's gender transition.[34][35] Wilson disputes this account and has described it as "a convenient narrative."[13]

Grimes, Musk's former partner, has defended Wilson and supported her transition. She stated that she is proud of Wilson for speaking out.[36][37]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Ingram, David (July 26, 2024). "Elon Musk's transgender daughter, in first interview, says he berated her for being queer as a child". NBC. ISSN 0971-8680. Archived from the original on July 27, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2025.
  2. ^ Carter, Ashleigh (June 7, 2025). "Exclusive: Vivian Wilson Gave Us the Best Reaction to the Elon Musk-Trump Feud". Teen Vogue. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
  3. ^ Blackwood, Emily (March 22, 2025). "All About Elon Musk's Daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson". People. Archived from the original on April 13, 2025. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  4. ^ Musk, Justine (June 1, 2017). Visionaries are People Who Can See In The Dark. TEDx. Event occurs at 00:23. Archived from the original on November 15, 2019 – via YouTube.
  5. ^ Factora, James (March 10, 2025). "Vivian Jenna Wilson, Elon Musk's Estranged Trans Daughter, Says Her Assigned Sex at Birth Was "Bought and Paid For"". Them. Archived from the original on March 21, 2025. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
  6. ^ a b Mahdawi, Arwa (July 27, 2024). "Elon Musk's 20-year-old estranged daughter responded to his rant about her". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on August 3, 2024. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  7. ^ Ortiz, Aimee (July 26, 2024). "Elon Musk's Transgender Daughter Says He Was 'Cruel' and 'Uncaring'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 27, 2024. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Duffy, Clare (July 25, 2024). "Elon Musk's estranged daughter calls out his 'entirely fake' claims about her childhood | CNN Business". CNN. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
  9. ^ Klee, Miles (July 25, 2024). "Elon Musk's Daughter Fires Back After He Says She Was 'Killed' By 'Woke Mind Virus'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
  10. ^ Musk, Justine (September 10, 2010). ""I Was a Starter Wife": Inside America's Messiest Divorce". Marie Claire. Archived from the original on July 30, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  11. ^ Cooke, Richard (2024). Dark Star: The Political Turning of Elon Musk. Schwartz Books Pty. Limited. ISBN 9781743823392.
  12. ^ Wanjala, Lilian (August 29, 2024). "The story of Elon Musk's transgender daughter, Vivian Wilson". Tuko.co.ke. Archived from the original on May 5, 2025. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Yurman, Ella (March 20, 2025). "Vivian Wilson on Being Elon Musk's Estranged Daughter, Going Viral, and Protecting Trans Youth". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on May 5, 2025. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
  14. ^ a b "Elon Musk's daughter granted legal name, gender change". AP News. June 23, 2022. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  15. ^ a b "Elon Musk: Billionaire's daughter cuts ties with her father". BBC News. June 21, 2022. Archived from the original on July 27, 2024. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  16. ^ "Elon Musk's Child Says She Doesn't 'Wish to Be Related' to Billionaire in Petition to Change Name and Gender". People. Archived from the original on June 29, 2024. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  17. ^ Sharma, Versha (March 20, 2025). "Introducing Vivian Wilson: A Letter From Teen Vogue's Editor-in-Chief". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on May 2, 2025. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
  18. ^ Lubin, Rhian (January 24, 2025). "Elon Musk's daughter gives fiery response to 'Nazi salute' accusations". The Independent. Archived from the original on February 6, 2025. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  19. ^ Burman, Theo (February 14, 2025). "Elon Musk's Trans Daughter Blasts Stonewall Website Changes". Newsweek. Archived from the original on February 17, 2025. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  20. ^ Linder, Brian (November 7, 2024). "Elon Musk has cold response to his daughter's reaction to Trump win". The Patriot News. Archived from the original on November 9, 2024. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  21. ^ Billson, Chantelle (January 22, 2025). "Musk's trans daughter responds to 'Nazi salute': 'Let's call a spade a spade'". PinkNews. Archived from the original on February 10, 2025. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
  22. ^ Adamczeski, Ryan (January 22, 2025). "Elon Musk's trans daughter Vivian Wilson slams Nazi salute". The Advocate. Archived from the original on April 6, 2025. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
  23. ^ Hoffman, Benjamin; Van Syckle, Katie (March 21, 2025). "An Interview With Elon Musk's Daughter Was Months in the Making". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 23, 2025. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
  24. ^ Wickman, Kase (May 22, 2025). "Vivian Jenna Wilson, Elon Musk's Estranged Daughter, on Becoming an Underwear Model, Even Though She Was "Terrified"". Vanity Fair. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
  25. ^ "Why Elon Musk's Daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson Moved Out of the United States to Live in Japan". E! Online. March 20, 2025. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
  26. ^ Sacks, Hannah (September 12, 2023). "Elon Musk's Son Damian, 17, Says He Became a Vegetarian at Age 8 to 'Decrease My Carbon Footprint'". People. Archived from the original on August 3, 2024. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  27. ^ Harrison Dupré, Maggie (August 12, 2024). "Elon Musk's Daughter Just Torched Walter Isaacson, His (and Steve Jobs's) Biographer". Futurism. Archived from the original on May 5, 2025. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  28. ^ Dickson, Ej (August 12, 2024). "Elon Musk's Daughter on Dad's Biography: 'Sad Excuse for a Puff Piece'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 5, 2025. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  29. ^ Stahl, Jay. "Vivian Jenna Wilson, Elon Musk's estranged daughter, calls dad 'pathetic man-child'". USA TODAY. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
  30. ^ Wickman, Kase (March 20, 2025). "Vivian Wilson Talks to Teen Vogue About Elon Musk, Her "Pathetic Man-Child," "F-cking Cringe" Dad". Vanity Fair. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
  31. ^ Blanco, Andrea (October 11, 2022). "Elon Musk reveals bizarre reason for daughter's estrangement". The Independent. Archived from the original on April 6, 2024. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  32. ^ Robledo, Anthony (July 22, 2024). "Musk says estranged child's gender-affirming care sparked fight against 'woke mind virus'". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 15, 2024. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  33. ^ Khalaf, Roula (October 7, 2022). "Elon Musk: 'Aren't you entertained?'". Financial Times. ISSN 0307-1766. Archived from the original on October 7, 2022. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  34. ^ Massie, Graeme (September 1, 2023). "Elon Musk became 'anti-woke' because of his daughter's gender transition, book claims". The Independent. Archived from the original on September 25, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  35. ^ McDougall, A. J. (August 31, 2023). "Elon Went Anti-Woke After His Daughter Transitioned, Biographer Writes". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on September 25, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  36. ^ Speakman, Kimberlee (July 26, 2024). "Grimes, Who Shares 3 Kids with Elon Musk, Is 'Endlessly Proud' of His Daughter Vivian After She Called Him Out". People. Archived from the original on February 14, 2025. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
  37. ^ Stewart, Chelsea (August 4, 2024). "Here's What Grimes Had To Say After Elon Musk's Daughter Vivian Called Him An Absentee Dad". HuffPost. Archived from the original on September 14, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
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