A viral video of billionaire Elon Musk allegedly “abandoning” his child X Æ A-Xii has sparked widespread controversy, with many accusing him of using the child as a publicity prop.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who is reportedly a father to 13 children with four different partners, is facing scrutiny after footage surfaced on social media appearing to show him at Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025.
In the footage, Musk is seen descending a steep staircase while his 4-year-old son, X Æ A-Xii, follows behind. As Musk turns to acknowledge the cheering crowd, he continues forward without assisting his son, who cautiously navigates the steps on his own.
Musk then disappears from view, leaving the child alone on the staircase. He has faced criticism for bringing the son he shares with singer Grimes to political events, with many accusing him of using the child as a public spectacle.
Netizens took to social media to repost and criticise the video, while others shared a different clip, claiming that the earlier footage was misleading or taken out of context.
One user wrote: “Omg Mlon Musk literally abandoned the son he brings around as a prop.”
Another remarked: “He either forgot he brought his human shield, or else he was finished with him, so left him for the nanny to take care of after his use was done. Either way, proves what an absolute POS he is as a parent and human. Poor little X.”
While another user said, “Bad angle from a speech makes it look like @elonmusk left his kid.. Well here is what really happened.”
X Æ A-Xii’s mother subsequently addressed social media, responding to videos and photographs of her son wandering about the oval office.
“He should not be in public like this. I did not see this, thank u for alerting me. But I’m glad he was polite. Sigh,” she wrote in a post on X.
The footage has resurfaced shortly after MAGA influencer Ashley St. Clair asserted she recently had what would be Elon Musk’s thirteenth child.