Vivian Jenna Wilson, Elon Musk’s transgender daughter, has broken silence following a viral New York Post article that claimed the model was “broke” and living with three roommates after severing ties with one of the world’s richest men.
The piece, published yesterday (September 2), pulled quotes from an interview with another outlet, twisting them into a narrative that Vivian is now forcefully denying.
Highlights
- An article implied Vivian was broke, and forced to live with roommates, due to estrangement from Musk.
- Vivian shot down the article, calling it misleading, with a post on Threads.
- The model claims to enjoy a stable financial situation that’s “better than most young people in LA.”
“Uhm… no? No I haven’t? I’ve never claimed to be broke? What the f*ck are you talking about?” Vivian posted in response on Threads.
Vivian, Elon Musk’s transgender daughter, pushed back after being portrayed as broke in a viral article
Image credits: vivllainous / instagram
The post, which directly tagged the New York Post’s article, went on to slam the headline.
“I’m doing pretty okay for myself in my career,” the model wrote. “I’m not super rich but I can afford to live in Los Angeles on my own income so I’d say I’m doing well.”
Image credits: Tom Brenner / Getty Images
The viral story came from Vivian’s tell-all conversation with The Cut, in which the 21-year-old opened up about personal finances, fame, family, and the reality of being raised in a world of unfathomable wealth while intentionally walking away from it.
“People assume I have a lot of money. I don’t have hundreds of thousands of dollars at my disposal,” Vivian told the outlet.
Image credits: teenvogue / vivllainous / instagram
Vivian surprised readers by revealing that while Musk’s wealth is “unimaginable,” and mother Justine Wilson is well-off in her own right, there is no inheritance or financial safety net at play.
The piece then delved into Vivian’s current lifestyle, depicting it as a clear departure from Musk’s billionaire status
Image credits: vivllainous / instagram
The model maintains an allegedly modest living arrangement, sharing a space with three roommates in Los Angeles simply because “it’s cheaper,” something NYP took as “proof” that Vivian was “broke.”
“I can afford food. I have friends, a shelter, and some expendable income, which is nice and much more fortunate than most people my age in Los Angeles,” Vivian added.
“I don’t have a desire to be superrich.”
The publication insinuated that Vivian was living with roommates not by choice, but as a consequence of severing ties with Musk
Image credits: vivllainous / instagram
The publication, however, took those same quotes and repackaged them into a headline suggesting Vivian was financially struggling after cutting ties with Musk. The insinuation was that distancing from the tech mogul had come at a steep economic cost.
Image credits: threads
Image credits: threads
In 2022, Vivian, who previously carried the surname Musk, filed for a legal name and gender change. The move has been widely interpreted as a breaking point and a severing of ties with her father.
Since then, she has publicly criticized the tech mogul in harsh terms, referring to him as a “pathetic man-child,” an absent father, and someone who would regularly harass and belittle those who didn’t share his worldview.
Image credits: TED
Musk, in turn, has not held back. In interviews, he claimed Vivian was “killed by the woke mind virus” and said he was “tricked” into approving hormonal injections for Vivian at 16.
In interviews, she has leaned into the media’s fascination with that rupture, revealing that the disconnect extends beyond Musk.
Image credits: tommysotogeist
Speaking to Teen Vogue, the model admitted to not knowing how many siblings are actually in the picture, making reference to Elon Musk’s 14 children with multiple partners.
“I will say I do not actually know how many siblings I have, if you include half-siblings. That’s just a fun fact,” Vivian said. “I found out about the Shivon Zilis thing the same time everyone else did.”
Vivian, who learned four languages at an elite school, now plans to return to college to study linguistics
Image credits: vivllainous / instagram
Born into a life of privilege, Vivian was raised in a world of elite education and access.
The private high school Vivian attended was, in Vivian’s own words, “full of nepo babies,” including Apple Martin, daughter of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin.
That education opened doors to a global academic experience. Vivian learned four languages, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and Spanish, and later studied abroad in Canada and Japan. But despite the high-level academic path, college didn’t stick.
Vivian eventually dropped out, blaming artificial intelligence for destroying any remaining motivation to stay in school.
Image credits: vivllainous / instagram
The model explained how the plan now is to return to college to continue studying languages, presumably funded by income earned through modeling, magazine appearances, and live performances.
Image credits: Cruz Valdez
“Vivian: ‘Obviously my father is richer than me but..’
The Post: ‘Our insider sources state that, after selling her kidney for rent, she resorted to dealing illegal substances in order to stay afloat,’” a user joked.
"Apparently we're all broke then." Netizens took to social media to share their thoughts about the headline
