Elon Musk's Brother Reveals the Tech Billionaire Was Nearly Beaten to Death: 'There Was Nothing I Could Do'

Elon Musk's journey to becoming a tech titan is a story of relentless drive and innovation. But behind the public persona lies a past marked by hardship and even violence. His brother, Kimbal Musk, recently shared a shocking revelation: a young Elon was nearly beaten to death, a harrowing experience that left his sibling feeling helpless.

In an interview with The Times of London, Kimbal described the feeling of utter helplessness he experienced when Elon was 'severely' beaten at school. Kimbal shared his memories of childhood with his older brother in South Africa, which he characterised as 'very violent' back then.

A Violent Upbringing In South Africa

'He had obviously upset them in some form, but nothing that would justify beating someone to death, which is what they were trying to do,' Kimbal told the outlet. 'There was nothing I could do,' he added. He also recalled another incident where, while on a train with Elon, a man was stabbed in the head right before them and died as everyone scrambled to leave the train car.

The 53-year-old billionaire has spoken before about his childhood, revealing to author Ashlee Vance that his attackers tricked him by using his closest friend to get him out of where he was hiding. 'For some reason, they decided that I was it, and they were going to go after me nonstop,' Musk said, according to Vance's 2015 book, Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future.

He also recalled being hunted by gangs at school, 'and then I'd come home, and it would just be awful there as well,' Elon said. Kimbal, who runs The Kitchen Restaurant Group, told the Times that his initial memories of trouble with Elon involved them, at about four and five years old, being 'caught' setting a fire in their backyard.

'We were probably going to burn something down,' Kimbal told the outlet. The Times reported that their mother, Maye Musk, a dietitian and model, endured physical and emotional abuse from her husband, Errol Musk, who frequently berated and verbally mistreated the two boys.

Early Signs Of A Complex Relationship

The brothers later relocated from South Africa to Canada during their teenage years, launched Zip2, and sold the company for approximately £230.91 million ($300 million) in 1999. Over time, they've worked together on various endeavours, including SpaceX and Tesla, yet they've had many disagreements, sometimes leading to physical confrontations.

Walter Isaacson's 2023 biography of Elon Musk details an incident in the 1990s at Zip2's office, where Kimbal, while wrestling with Elon on the floor, 'tore off a hunk of flesh' from his hand.

The siblings today

A letter released in an SEC filing in May revealed that a group of Tesla shareholders pushed for others to vote against the reelection of Kimbal Musk and James Murdoch to the Tesla Board, claiming their personal connections could prevent them from effectively overseeing the CEO.

Kimbal told The Times that he and his brother recently spent several days arguing about Tesla's cost-cutting and production plans, but fortunately, there was no violence this time.

The revelations of their complicated past shed light on the forces that shaped Elon Musk's relentless ambition. While their paths have diverged and clashed, their shared history remains a powerful backdrop to their individual and collective achievements.