Tech billionaire Elon Musk's brother, Kimbal Musk, opened up about his harrowing experiences growing up in apartheid South Africa, including the chilling incident of witnessing a murder as a teenager.
What Happened: In a recent episode of the Lex Fridman Podcast, Kimbal Musk, who was a teenager during the fall of apartheid, described his childhood as being marked by violence and a lack of value for human life.
He recounted a chilling incident where he witnessed a murder on a train known for its violence when he was around 16 or 17 years old.
"In South Africa, people died, or people were killed. I saw someone killed in front of me. I was getting off a train and it's a very violent train known for violence."
"We went on this train and the doors opened and I had people trying to get off the train and in front of me, two Black people, one Black guy just stabbed this knife in the side of this other Black guy's head and you're like, ‘What the fuck?'"
Kimbal Musk reveals he was 16 or 17 at the time.
"I step off and I step into the pool of blood one foot, and then I just walk for about a hundred paces while the stickiness of the blood just kind of for my sneakers just on one foot just leaves a footprint behind me. And you just walk on. You just walk on."
He added how much he values the U.S. where he thinks "we have value for human life."
Musk also spoke about the social vacuum created when someone is killed, describing it as “extraordinarily painful”. He contrasted this with his experiences in South Africa, where he felt that the constant threat of violence led to a lesser social vacuum when someone was killed.
Despite the grim circumstances, Musk highlighted the “celebratory element” and “real joy” he experienced in South Africa.
Why It Matters: Kimbal Musk’s recounting of his childhood experiences starkly contrasts his later life in the United States.
Kimbal also shared the story of how he and Elon embarked on a U.S. road trip before launching their first company, Zip2, in 1995.
This journey, which included a breakdown in South Dakota's Badlands and an unexpected act of kindness from a stranger, was a far cry from the violence and fear that marked his early life in South Africa.
Musk’s experiences underscore the stark differences between life in different parts of the world and the unique values and perspectives that different countries hold. Reflecting on his experiences, Musk urged those who were critical of America to gain perspective by living in another country.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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