Elon Musk has acknowledged his father’s claim that former teachers’ of Mu were concerned about Musk’s childhood behavior, responding “They weren’t entirely wrong tbh” to reports that educators once labeled him as “retarded.” For what? For staring into space during class.
The Tesla CEO‘s comments come months after his estranged father, Errol Musk, revealed in a YouTube interview that teachers expressed serious concerns about seven-year-old Elon’s classroom behavior in South Africa.
According to Errol the grade two teacher reported that young Elon would remain in a “fixed position” staring out the window and would not respond when called. Despite these behavioral concerns, the teacher noted his academic work remained “good.”
The situation led to a meeting where school officials suggested Elon might need special education. The issue was later attributed to a hearing problem and resolved with ear grommets – tiny tubes inserted into the eardrum. Following the incident, Errol transferred his son to a private school.
Musk has since revealed he grew up with Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism spectrum disorder characterized by difficulties in social interaction and repetitive behavior patterns.
The father-son relationship has been notably strained, with Elon describing his father as a “terrible human being” in a 2017 Rolling Stone interview and characterizing his childhood as “painful and isolated.”
