Why Elon Musk REGRETS Being Too Harsh on His First Wife — “I Wish I Had Known Better”
For a man who has built rockets, changed the way the world drives, and shaken up entire industries, Elon Musk has rarely shown the world his vulnerabilities. But in a deeply personal and exclusive interview, the billionaire entrepreneur opened up about a part of his life that rarely makes headlines — his regrets over his first marriage to Justine Musk.
“I hurt someone I loved, and that’s something I deeply regret,” Musk admitted, his voice breaking. “If I could go back, I’d do things differently. I’d listen more, and I’d show more appreciation.”
It’s a side of Musk that many haven’t seen — one of introspection, remorse, and humanity. Known for his grueling work hours (famously working 80 to 120 hours a week during the early days of Tesla and SpaceX), Musk has long acknowledged that his personal relationships have suffered in the shadow of his professional ambitions. But until now, he’s rarely spoken so openly about the toll that imbalance took on those closest to him.
Justine Musk, an author and mother of his five children, was Elon’s college sweetheart. They married in 2000, building a life together during the chaotic early days of Musk’s entrepreneurial journey. But as Tesla, SpaceX, and his other ventures consumed his time and attention, cracks began to form. In 2008, the couple divorced — a split that was covered extensively in the media but never fully explained by either party.
Now, Elon Musk is offering insight into that chapter of his life. “I was so focused on building the future that I forgot to be present in the moment,” he reflected. “I didn’t realize how much emotional support and attention a relationship really needs. I thought providing and working hard was enough — but it wasn’t.”
Those who know Musk say this moment of public vulnerability is rare. “He’s not someone who easily talks about his personal life,” one close friend shared. “But he’s been doing a lot of self-reflection lately. I think he wants people to know he’s more than just the guy who builds rockets and posts memes.”
Musk’s relationship with Justine wasn’t without its challenges even before the breakup. The couple endured unimaginable loss when their first child, Nevada, died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) at just 10 weeks old. “It changes you,” Musk said quietly. “It makes you reevaluate everything — but at the time, I buried myself in work because I didn’t know how else to cope. I thought I was helping, but in reality, I was shutting myself off from her pain.”
This combination of personal tragedy, unrelenting work demands, and emotional distance created a wedge that eventually couldn’t be bridged. Still, Musk admits that the way he handled their relationship — and its breakdown — is one of his biggest regrets. “If I had known then what I know now, I would have been more patient, more understanding. I would have made more time to be a husband, not just an entrepreneur,” he said.
Despite their past, Musk and Justine have remained in contact as co-parents to their five children. Insiders say they’ve built a respectful dynamic, though they live very different lives. Justine has largely stepped away from the public eye, focusing on her writing and her family, while Musk has continued his relentless pursuit of innovation and expansion.
What stands out in this revelation is Musk’s willingness to admit he’s still learning — not about rockets or artificial intelligence, but about relationships, communication, and emotional intelligence. “I used to think emotions got in the way of progress,” he said. “Now I understand they’re what make life meaningful. Without connection, what’s the point of any of this?”
This candid moment has struck a chord with many. Social media lit up with messages of support and surprise after snippets of the interview aired. “It’s refreshing to see someone like Elon Musk own up to his mistakes,” one commenter wrote. Another added: “Money and success mean nothing if you lose the people you love along the way.”
Experts say this type of public vulnerability can be transformative, not just for the person sharing but for the millions who look up to them. “Elon’s admission that he wishes he’d been a better partner is powerful,” said Dr. Linda Carson, a relationship therapist. “It shows that even people at the top of their fields are human, that they struggle with the same emotional challenges as the rest of us.”
For Musk, this moment of reflection seems to signal a broader shift. In recent years, he’s spoken more openly about his mental health, his struggles with loneliness, and his desire for deeper personal connections. “I don’t want to look back on my life and feel like I built all these amazing things but failed the people I loved,” he said.
Whether this new perspective will shape Musk’s future relationships remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: for a man who’s conquered Mars in his imagination and revolutionized industries on Earth, his greatest work might just be the journey of becoming a better version of himself.
