Was Elon Musk Married? What People Get Wrong About His Relationships

Honestly, it depends on how you count. If you ask the average person on the street, they might tell you he’s married to a pop star or a high-ranking executive right now. They’d be wrong.

Elon Musk has been married exactly three times. Well, technically, he has had three wedding ceremonies, but only to two different women. If that sounds like a riddle, welcome to the chaotic, high-velocity personal life of the man trying to colonize Mars.

The "Starter Wife" and the Early Years

The first time anyone could say was elon musk married was back in 2000. He tied the knot with Justine Wilson, a Canadian author he met while they were both students at Queen’s University in Ontario. At the time, he wasn't "Elon Musk: Global Tech Overlord." He was just a guy with a messy South African accent and a relentless drive that most people found exhausting.

Their marriage lasted eight years. It was a period defined by massive professional wins—the sale of PayPal, the founding of SpaceX—and devastating personal loss. Their first son, Nevada Alexander, died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) at just 10 weeks old.

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Justine eventually wrote a famous, somewhat stinging essay for Marie Claire where she labeled herself a "starter wife." She described a relationship where the power dynamic shifted as the zeros in his bank account multiplied. By the time they divorced in 2008, they had five more children: twins and triplets, all born via IVF.

The Actress He Married (and Divorced) Twice

If his first marriage was a slow burn that ended in a blow-up, his second was a literal rollercoaster. Shortly after the split from Justine, Musk met British actress Talulah Riley at a London nightclub.

They married in 2010.
They divorced in 2012.
They remarried in 2013.
They divorced again in 2016.

It sounds like a sitcom plot, but Riley has often spoken about how "silly" it felt to be together but not married after they had already been through it once. They didn't have any children together, but Riley was deeply involved in raising his five sons from the first marriage. Unlike the split with Justine, the Riley breakups seemed remarkably amicable. They’re still friends. Musk even tweeted at her during the first divorce, saying he would love her forever.

The Partners Who Weren't Wives

This is where Google Search results usually get muddy. A lot of people assume was elon musk married to Grimes or Shivon Zilis because he has children with them.

He wasn't.

His relationship with the musician Grimes (Claire Boucher) was, in her own words, "very fluid." They were together on and off from 2018 through 2022, had three children with names that require a math degree to pronounce, and lived in separate houses. Despite the deep connection, they never legally wed.

Then there is Shivon Zilis, an executive at Neuralink. In 2021, it was revealed she had twins with Musk via IVF. More recently, reports have surfaced of a third child. Again, no marriage certificate exists here. It’s a modern, unconventional family structure that Musk seems to prefer as he gets older.

The Current Count

As of early 2026, Elon Musk is not married. He is single, though "single" is a relative term for a man who seems to be constantly expanding his family tree.

His history shows a pattern:

• Justine Wilson (2000–2008): One marriage, five surviving children.
• Talulah Riley (2010–2012 / 2013–2016): Two marriages, zero children.
• Grimes & Shivon Zilis: Long-term partnerships and co-parenting, but zero marriages.

Why the Confusion Persists

Why do people keep asking if he was married to his recent partners? It’s mostly because of the children. In a traditional sense, having three or four kids with someone usually implies a mortgage and a ring. Musk ignores those traditions. He views the "underpopulation crisis" as a greater threat to humanity than climate change, which explains why he's fathered at least 12 children (that we know of) across different households.

If you’re looking for a simple answer to was elon musk married, it’s a "yes" that comes with a lot of footnotes. He’s been a husband three times over, but he hasn't been one for nearly a decade.

What to watch for next:
If you want to stay updated on his family dynamics, don't look for wedding announcements. Instead, keep an eye on his legal filings regarding custody. The most recent disputes with Grimes over their children suggest that while he might be done with marriage, the legal complexities of his "fluid" relationships are just beginning. For the most accurate updates, check SEC filings or reputable biographies like Walter Isaacson’s, rather than tabloid rumors.