Who is Errol Musk’s stepdaughter Jana Bezuidenhout? Elon Musk worried over estranged father’s attention toward teen stepsister

A recent New York Times investigation uncovered grave allegations leveled against Elon Musk’s estranged father, Errol Musk. 

Per the outlet, the South African businessman has been accused of sexually abusing five of his children and stepchildren. The incidents allegedly happened in South Africa and California, The Times reported, based on “police and court records, personal correspondence, social workers,” and interviews with the relatives. 

According to the NYT, the earliest accusation of abuse was in 1993, involving Errol Musk’s then-four-year-old stepdaughter, Jana Bezuidenhout. At the time, the child reportedly told her aunt, Elmie Smit, that her stepfather had allegedly touched her. Per The Times, Smit asserted that she and other relatives immediately reported the incident to the authorities. 

For those unaware, Jana Bezuidenhout is Errol Musk’s former stepdaughter, through the latter’s marriage to the former’s mother, Heide-Mari, in 1992. At the time of the wedding, Jana was around four. Per the NYT, Heide-Mari had three children, including Jana, from her first marriage. However, Bezuidenhout passed away in an accident, and she later married Musk, 19 years her senior. 

Heide-Mari, who shared two children with Errol, parted ways with her second husband after a few years but remarried him before their eventual divorce. Later, Jana Bezuidenhout, who had a history of substance abuse, was involved in a romantic relationship with her former stepfather, per The Sunday Times. They had a son in 2017, Elliot “Rushi” Rush. 

In July 2022, Errol Musk told The Sun about having a second child with Jana. Speaking with the tabloid, Elon Musk’s father remarked: 

“The only thing we are on Earth for is to reproduce. If I could have another child I would. I can’t see any reason not to. If I had thought about it then Elon or Kimbal wouldn’t exist."

Elon Musk was concerned about his father being “uncomfortably attentive” to a 15-year-old Jana Bezuidenhout, a biographer claimed in 2023

Walter Isaacson authored a biography of the SpaceX founder that was released in September 2023. The book also reflected on the relationship between Elon and his estranged father. Isaacson also recounted how Musk was concerned about his dad’s growing attention toward his then-teen stepsister Jana Bezuidenhout, years before their romantic relationship started. The author wrote: 

“Elon was getting concerned that Errol, who was then fifty-six, was becoming uncomfortably attentive to one of his stepdaughters, Jana, who was then fifteen.” 

Isaacson shared that Elon Musk was apparently furious at his father’s behavior. He wrote: 

“Elon became furious at his father because of what he perceived as his inappropriate behavior, and he had developed a deep sympathy — and tugging sense of kinship — for Errol's stepchildren. He knew what they had to live with.” 

According to the NYT, when Jana was around 14, her relatives filed a report with child protective services due to another alleged incident involving Errol Musk. The outlet stated in its recent investigation that family members also sought help from Elon. NYT noted: 

“The billionaire has also provided financial support for his stepfamily and siblings from his father’s third marriage. He once tried to keep those family members in California, where they would be far from Errol Musk.” 

In 2023, Elon also claimed that his father had been bankrupt for the last 25 years and was financially reliant on him and his brother. NYT's recent report further claimed that the tech billionaire also "began paying 30,000 rand a month, about $1,700," to support Jana Bezuidenhout in 2023. 

I grew up in a lower, transitioning to upper, middle income situation, but did not have a happy childhood. Haven’t inherited anything ever from anyone, nor has anyone given me a large financial gift.

My father created a small electrical/mechanical engineering company that was…

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 6, 2023

Per the recent investigative article, Jana Bezuidenhout’s family also accused Errol Musk of abusing their five-year-old son in 2023. However, Musk has refuted all reports and accusations, labeling them “false and nonsense in the extreme.”