Alex Bruno
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, talked out about the loss of his firstborn son in an email interaction with the father of a Tesla driver who died in a collision that was just made public.
According to Business Insider, Musk stated in an email to James Riley on May 10, 2018, “There is nothing worse than losing a kid.”
Barrett Riley, Riley’s 18-year-old son, and a friend died in an automobile accident in Florida in 2018 after he lost control of a Tesla Model S traveling around 116 miles per hour and smashed into a concrete wall.
The emails were originally published by Bloomberg and were included in a December court filing in a wrongful death claim brought by the family of Edgar Monserrat, a front-seat passenger and Barett Riley’s buddy who died in the collision.
The almost seven-week-long line of texts reveals Musk’s personal participation in customer relations after a tragic event. He also mentions his personal loss, something he has seldom spoken about in public.
“In my arms, my firstborn son died.” Elon Musk stated, “I felt his final pulse,” alluding to his son Nevada Alexander Musk, who died at the age of ten weeks.
Musk even went so far as to meet Riley’s request that Tesla adjust a programmed function to make it simpler for parents to limit the maximum speed a Tesla may reach.
Tesla released a software upgrade to its speed restriction function in June 2018, allowing drivers to choose the maximum speed between 50 and 90 mph using a four-digit PIN on the car’s smartphone app or user interface. According to Bloomberg, the owner’s handbook was changed to state that the function was dedicated in Barrett Riley’s memory.
Riley wrote to Musk on May 31, 2018, saying, “I have never sought recognition for anything in my life, but it would be good to recognize that Barrett and Edgar’s death resulted in the increased safety of others.”
Musk had told Riley two days previously that Tesla was “doing all we can to enhance safety.” My friends, family, and I all drive Teslas, and I would still do all I could if they didn’t.”
Riley filed a product liability lawsuit against Tesla in federal court in Florida over two years after the email conversation. According to the lawsuit, his Tesla car “burst into an uncontrolled and deadly fire” following the incident. “The battery fire killed Barrett Riley, not the accident,” he stated.
Riley requested a speed restriction device for his son’s safety two months before the tragedy, but it was removed without authorization when the vehicle was delivered to Tesla for servicing, according to the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, if it had not been for Tesla’s carelessness, the limiter would have averted the accident and “Barrett Riley would be alive today.”
The lawyer representing Musk in the ongoing court action is now attempting to convince a judge to require Musk to testify regarding Tesla’s Autopilot assisted-driving function.
Nevada Musk’s Death: The Backstory
Nevada, Elon and Justine’s kid, died after suffering from sudden infant death syndrome when he was only 10 weeks old (SIDS). The SpaceX CEO, who enjoys spending his non-working hours with his children, does not speak much about them. Tesla’s CEO said in an interview with the New York Times earlier this month that newborns are “very awesome.” It went on to recommend that individuals have more children in order to keep mankind alive.
Musk and his girlfriend, Grimes, also had their first child only a year ago, on May 5, 2020. X AE A-XII as a first name and AE AXII as a middle name was supposedly given to her kid.
Musk is the father of seven children. Musk’s five boys are shared by him and his first wife, Canadian novelist Justine Wilson. In the year 2000, he married and then divorced. Musk married Justine in 2000, but they divorced in 2008. Nevada Alexander Musk was born in 2002, according to the article.
Nevada Alexander Musk’s cause of death is unknown
Nevada died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) when she was just 10 weeks old. Elon Musk, according to Ashlee Vance’s biography of him. His parents Nevada to sleep, remembering the written portion, and when they returned, he had stopped breathing. He was resuscitated when paramedics arrived on the scene.
However, the child’s brain was no longer working correctly since he had gone without for so long. When the paramedics came, they were able to revive him, but the child’s brain was no longer functioning correctly due to a lack of oxygen. Nevada was on life support for almost three days before her parents were able to turn it off.
Nevada’s Death: The Aftermath
Many people are unaware that Nevada died or that Elon Musk had a son today. However, only the eBay transaction was publicized after Nevada passed away. Without a doubt, the death of a child had a significant impact on the Musk family. Elon was also adamant about not talking about Nevada’s death.
“I did not comprehend this, just as he did not understand why I mourned publicly, which he considered as ’emotionally manipulative,’” Justine Wilson, her wife, said in a statement. Instead, I buried my sorrow by going to an IVF facility for the first time less than two months after Nevada’s death. Elon and I had intended to conceive as soon as possible.” Justine gave birth to twins and then triplets in the next five years.
To Fight Dark Situations, Elon’s Self-Defense Mechanism
Musk’s response was a protective mechanism he learned as a youngster, according to his wife, after their first son died in Nevada. She expressed herself as follows:
She told Esquire magazine that he “does not do well in gloomy environments.” “He moves on, and I believe it is a matter of survival for him.”
He also could not see why it was essential to grieve openly. He is believed to have added, “It made me quite upset to speak about it.” “I am not sure why I would want to discuss such traumatic situations.” It is unsustainable in the long run. “Wallowing in despair does no good for anybody around you if you have other children and responsibilities.”
“In such circumstances, I am not sure what to do.”
To sum up, the loss of their child must have had a profound impact on Elon Musk’s whole family. Elon and Justine fought back and got back on their feet, which would have been difficult for anybody who had lost a kid. Xavier and Griffin Musk, Elon’s twin boys, were born in 2004.
