Vivian Jenna Wilson: Elon Musk’s Estranged Daughter Protects Trans Youth

In 2022, a court filing in California put the spotlight on billionaire Elon Musk’s family. According to “NBC,” at 18, Vivian Jenna Musk, one of Elon Musk’s eldest daughters, petitioned to legally change her name to Vivian Jenna Wilson in an attempt to disconnect herself from the “Musk” name.

In an interview with “Teen Vogue,” Wilson described her relationship with her father as estranged. She recalled never having a good relationship with him, even before her gender transition at 16. In her adolescence, she outlined receiving a lot of criticism from her dad for not acting as “masculine” as he preferred.

In the court filing, she wrote, “I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form.”

Musk publicly addressed his relationship with his daughter. In an interview with psychologist and political commentator Jordan Peterson, he told Peterson that he had been “tricked” into signing documents authorizing gender-affirming medical treatment for Wilson.

Wilson, on the other hand, recalled meeting him in person so that he could read the forms twice before signing them. Nonetheless, during that time, Wilson felt that her relationship with her father had reached a point of no return.

Although she finds it challenging to identify with the term “activist,” Wilson has emphasized the importance of gender-affirming care in multiple interviews. She cited her own experiences with such care as a major reason. To “Teen Vogue,” she said, “Transitioning as a minor was something that was medically necessary for me... in order to be not suicidal, and it’s really important that we protect access to trans care for trans youth.”

Emme Poole ’26 follows Wilson on Tiktok and thinks she's “super funny.” Poole noted that “using her association with someone who's controversial to advocate for herself and her peers is really important.”