“At three years old, I told people, ‘I have this genius boy,’” Maye Musk, mother of Elon Musk, recalls. “Which is what every mother says about their children.”
In Maye’s case, she was far from exaggerating.
As a tot, Elon — the eventual Tesla and SpaceX founder — could read encyclopedias and remember the information, which didn’t exactly make him popular with the other kids, according to his mother.
Maye, who was born in Regina, is a phenom in her own right with a successful modelling career at age 71. But, she hasn’t forgotten her struggles as a single mom of three to Elon, Kimbal and Tosca.
She recently published her memoir, A Woman Makes A Plan, in which she shares details of her abusive marriage, as well as wisdom she’s learned along the way.
“The advice I give to single mums, is that you don’t have to live in luxury. You will be probably financially compromised,” she said, adding suggestions for many small ways moms can economize.
Watch the video above to understand why Maye thinks that’s the better choice, see childhood photos of Elon and his siblings, and learn more about what it’s like to be the mother of three ultra-achieving children.