Before Elon Musk became a household name—launching rockets, revolutionizing cars, and single-handedly turning tech CEOs into celebrities—he was someone else entirely: a determined college kid in Canada awkwardly holding melting ice cream cones, relentlessly courting his future first wife, Justine Musk. In her unforgettable 2010 Marie Claire essay, Justine pulls back the curtain on life with the billionaire visionary long before the world started hanging on his every tweet.
Their story took a sharp turn in late spring 2008, when Elon, entrepreneur and father of Justine's five young sons, abruptly filed for divorce. Just six weeks later, he texted that he was already engaged—to Talulah Riley, a stunning British actress in her early 20s best known for her role in 2005's "Pride and Prejudice." Justine's reaction was refreshingly honest: "Two of the things that struck me were: a) "Pride and Prejudice" is a really good movie, and b) My life with this man had devolved to a cliché." She adds dryly, "At least she wasn't blonde. I found that refreshing."
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Over the years, Elon kept pursuing her, even after transferring to Wharton. Unlike previous boyfriends who dismissed her ambition as threatening or “competitive,” Elon admired it. Justine once pointed at bookstore shelves, dreaming aloud of having her own books there. Elon, unlike anyone before, took her seriously: "You have a fire in your soul," he said.
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Things escalated when Musk's first big tech venture, Zip2, took off. He was suddenly wealthy—flying Justine out to Silicon Valley for weekend visits, casually buying her endless books. Their relationship deepened quickly. But alongside romance came subtle red flags. During their wedding reception in January 2000, Elon matter-of-factly announced, “I am the alpha in this relationship.” Justine brushed it off, trusting their bond.
By 2008, their marriage quietly imploded. Justine's wake-up call came in the form of a serious car accident—a moment that crystallized just how much had unraveled. Her first instinct wasn't gratitude for survival; instead, chillingly, she thought, “My husband is going to kill me.“
Today, Justine's brutally honest reflection continues to resonate as Elon's star rises ever higher, reminding readers of the complex human story behind the headlines.
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