Elon Musk Has A Frosty Relationship With Dad Errol But Last Year Gifted Him A Luxury Car That Was Surprisingly Not A Tesla — Here's Why

Despite their strained relationship, Elon Musk last year gifted his father, Errol Musk, a car from Volkswagen AG’s VWAGY luxury automobile arm, Bentley Motors, rather than a Tesla.

What Happened: During an interview with Vlad TV last week, Errol said that his son and Tesla CEO gifted him a Bentley Flying Spur after offering to buy him a car.

"It was originally going to be a Tesla which was going to be sent out here but the price was astronomical," Errol recalled, adding, "We’re not set up at all for anything like that so I thought ‘no I don’t want to be outside service range' and all that sort of stuff anyway." 

So, no there's a Bentley in his garage. " I haven’t put the number plates on yet."

See Also: Elon Musk’s Father Says It Would Be ‘A Big Concern’ If Elon Had To Step Away From Board Meetings At His Companies To ‘Go To Government’

Beyond the car, the tech mogul's father also disclosed that the Musk family has a foundation that financially supports single women in the family with a monthly stipend.

"All the single women receive a monthly income," he said, adding, "Even my ex-wife [Heide Bezuidenhout]."

The Tesla CEO also "bridged the gap" when his father needed help with his medical costs.

Why It's Important: Back in 2022, Errol told Business Insider that he always had Rolls-Royces. “I prefer to drive a Rolls-Royce. It’s much better — I mean it’s not better than a Tesla — but it’s nicer for me anyway.”

“If I lived in the US, I’d drive a Tesla without a doubt,” he said then.

According to biographer Walter Isaacson, Elon and his brother Kimbal Musk experienced a tumultuous childhood under Errol’s influence, which left lasting psychological scars. 

In 2022, Elon revealed in a Twitter thread that his father ran out of money in the 1990s, prompting Elon and Kimbal to provide financial support to him and the extended family in South Africa.

Elon Musk currently has a net worth of $398 billion, according to Bloomberg's Billionaire Index, making him the wealthiest individual in the world. His company Tesla has a market capitalization of $1.144 trillion.

Tesla struggled in Germany last month as buyers favored Volkswagen, Seat, and BMW. VW led with 6,521 more EVs sold, followed by Seat with 2,520, reported Bloomberg. Tesla's sales fell by 1,875 despite a 54% EV market surge. Its market share plunged from 14% to 4%.

German sales data suggests Musk's politics are hurting Tesla. His support for the far-right Alternative for Germany party was unpopular, and a mid-January poll showed his image was unfavorable, the report noted.

Image via Shutterstock

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.