Maye Musk talks bankrolling Elon's first tech startup

Maye Musk (0:00)

Well, the thing is, I had to survive, so of course, as a dietician, I was seeing patients, and then modeling part-time, waiting for it to end. But as I got older, they wanted Mother of the Bride, they wanted grandmother, so I did all that. And it was only in my 70s that they started doing all this fantastic stuff on me, and getting front covers, and walking in fashion weaves.

Brian Sozzi (0:30)

Welcome to a new episode of Power Players, and I'm really excited for this episode, because I think my next guest is really awesome. And I was thinking back ahead of this, ahead of the SpaceX IPO, and I'm watching this on the live feed, and I see this glamorous person hanging out, Morgan Stanley CEO, Ted Pick. I've had the opportunity to talk to Ted. I'm like, that's Elon Musk's mom right there. She had her green shoes on. I'm like, wow, I got to drop me a line. I didn't realize she had a new book out, but she does. It's called Timeless. You got to get this book. It's awesome.

And Maye's here with me now. Maye, good to see you.

Maye Musk (1:03)

Good to see you.

Brian Sozzi (1:06)

What was that like? It's just on IPO day for SpaceX. That must have been wild.

Maye Musk (1:11)

It was fantastic. Everyone at Nasdaq was so much fun. And the green shoes, there was a reason for it. I think everybody, everyone had to wear green shoes. They had green sneakers for us.

Brian Sozzi (1:25)

In a moment like that, did you have a moment just to...

And I think this ties in the book, just to reflect. Like, holy cow, my son just has this company that's sending data centers and rockets. And like, where did this all come from?

Maye Musk (1:42)

Yes, and I get surprised every time, and so proud, and I just love that he's doing so much for the world and for America. You know, it's things that people wouldn't do or wouldn't think were possible.

Brian Sozzi (2:01)

I love this book. I read it from start to finish, and I'm actually going back. I wish you were here because you could actually see the pages folded.

I just loved it. And it's your story is one of grit and determination. Where does that grit come from?

Maye Musk (2:16)

Well, I'd say from my parents. I mean, they were the only people to fly with their families across the Kalahari Desert. But then we also drove without the plan. And for nine times I went to the Kalahari Desert and slept on the ground. And so my dad just wanted us to rough it, he also wanted us to discover that all the animals and the interesting areas of the Kalahari Desert. And then they also, the only people to fly in a single engine canvas plane from South Africa, up Africa to Europe and then another time across Asia to Australia and back. Nobody else have done that and nobody else would want to do it in that plane.

Brian Sozzi (3:09)

That's an incredible story and I know you were very, I mean, you're obviously close to both of your parents, but what did you, I sense a special connection with your mom.

Maye Musk (3:20)

My mom is very smart and she's educates herself all the time and she stopped working at 96 because she was in a wheelchair then.

And then she died at 98 because she broke her bone and that doesn't heal at 98 But you know, she was just smart the whole time. She would follow all our journeys so that she could find for herself what city we are in and what the culture is like, because she'd done so much of that. And so she kept her mind alive while she was doing art and exhibiting every week.

Brian Sozzi (4:03)

I told you very briefly before we started. I've had the opportunity to talk to Kimball.

And it's amazing to see what he's doing. He has these light shows now that at some day, hopefully they replace fireworks, because the light show is just really cool. I'm not to talk to Elon, I'm not to talk to Tosca, but all innovators in their respective fields. Like when you were growing up, was that innovative spirit in you?

Maye Musk (4:26)

Well, the thing is I had to survive. So of course, as a dietician, I was seeing patients and then modeling part-time, waiting for it to end.

Because I mean, as you get older, you shouldn't be modeling. But as I got older, they wanted mother of the bride, they wanted grandmother, so I did all that. And it was only in my 70s that they started doing all this fantastic stuff on me and getting front covers and walking in fashion week, the runway shows.