Tosca Musk is no stranger to Hollywood, but being Elon Musk's sister seems to have its own challenges. Recently, the filmmaker revealed that she’s been overcharged by vendors who assume her billionaire brother foots all her bills. “But he does not,” Tosca, 49, told the Daily Mail last year.
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The director, known for founding the romance-focused streaming service Passionflix, shared how a location for one of her films suddenly shot up in price – by $20,000 – once her name was recognized. What was supposed to be a $5,000 deal turned into a $25,000 bill. “That's not exactly fair, is it?” she said, rolling her eyes.
Despite being the sibling of the world's richest man, Tosca clarified that the Musks didn't grow up in wealth. She shared, “There's a perception that we had so much money growing up, but that is not the truth.” Raised in South Africa by their mother, Maye Musk, the family faced financial struggles after Maye divorced her husband, Errol Musk, who has denied claims of domestic abuse. The elder Musk worked five jobs at one point to support Tosca and her brothers, Elon and Kimbal.
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Tosca also addressed rumors about whether her brother helps her out financially. “It's a double-edged sword,” she explained. “If I say no, people think he doesn't support me, and if I say yes, they assume he pays for everything.” She made it clear that she's learned to spot those trying to cozy up to her just to get closer to Elon. “I've got a finely-tuned bullsh-t-ometer, so the answer is always ‘no,'” she added with a smirk.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Elon Musk, who now owns X (formerly Twitter) and leads Tesla and SpaceX, is worth around $233 billion. Despite his immense wealth, his siblings have carved their own paths. Kimbal, the middle Musk sibling, is a successful chef and restaurateur, and Tosca has built Passionflix into a solid streaming service with a focus on the romance genre – a niche many mainstream networks have ignored.
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Tosca credits her mother for the Musk family's strong work ethic. Maye Musk, now a model and author, raised her children to persevere despite their challenges. Even at 76, Maye still attends her children's events and, as Tosca recounted, is humble enough to crash in a garage when she visits Elon.
And as for family perks? Don’t count on them, even if your last name is Musk. Maye once recalled how Elon denied a family discount on a Tesla. When asked, he simply said, “Everybody's family when you buy a Tesla.”
The Musk family's story is a testament to resilience and grit, with each member pursuing their passions in their own way – even if the world insists on assuming otherwise.
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