A High-Profile Appearance Amid a Private Battle
The Formula 1 Grand Prix in Austin is one of the most anticipated events on the motorsport calendar, drawing celebrities, athletes, and tech moguls alike. Musk’s attendance was not unexpected—he has a history of showing up at such events, often blending his love for innovation with his public persona. What caught everyone off guard was the presence of his son, X Æ A-Xii, affectionately known as “Baby X,” who joined him at the event. Photos captured the 3-year-old waving enthusiastically from inside Musk’s Cybertruck, later sitting on his father’s shoulders in the pit lane, and watching the race from the Mercedes Garage. The images were a stark contrast to the legal storm brewing behind the scenes.
Musk and Grimes, whose real name is Claire Elise Boucher, have been embroiled in a custody dispute over their three children—X Æ A-Xii, Exa Dark Sideræl, and Techno Mechanicus—since late 2023. The battle has played out in courts across Texas and California, with both parents filing lawsuits to establish parental rights and determine the children’s primary residence. Musk’s decision to bring X to the Grand Prix, a highly publicized event, raised eyebrows, especially given the jurisdictional issues at the heart of the custody case. The question of where the children primarily live—Texas, where Musk filed his lawsuit, or California, where Grimes claims she moved with two of the children in December 2022—remains a key point of contention.
The timing of Musk’s appearance with X was particularly significant. Just months earlier, in November 2024, the custody battle had finally reached a settlement in Travis County, Texas, after a year of legal wrangling that Grimes described as emotionally and financially draining. In a post on X, Grimes revealed that she had “gone bankrupt” fighting for her children, adding, “The threat of losing ur kids while going bankrupt fighting for them is not very conducive to creative thoughts.” She also expressed frustration with Texas laws, which cap child support payments at $2,760 for three children, compared to California’s lack of a cap. Despite the settlement, tensions lingered, with Grimes previously accusing Musk of withholding the children from her for months, a claim echoed by her mother, Sandy Garossino, in a now-deleted X thread in July 2024.
The Public Moment: A Father-Son Day or a Strategic Move?
Musk’s decision to bring X to the F1 Grand Prix was met with mixed reactions. On one hand, the images of the billionaire and his son were undeniably touching. X, with his wide-eyed curiosity, seemed to enjoy the spectacle, waving to the crowd and soaking in the excitement of the race. Musk, often portrayed as a larger-than-life figure focused on colonizing Mars or revolutionizing transportation, appeared in a rare light: a doting father sharing a special moment with his child. Fans on X praised the moment, with one user writing, “Love seeing Elon as a dad—X looks so happy!” Another commented, “This is the side of Elon we don’t see enough of—just a father enjoying time with his son.”
However, others viewed the appearance through a more critical lens, seeing it as a calculated move in the ongoing custody narrative. Family law experts have noted that jurisdiction in custody cases often hinges on proving where the children primarily reside. Musk’s frequent appearances with X in Texas—including at the 2023 F1 Grand Prix, where a similar scene unfolded—could be interpreted as an attempt to establish Texas as the children’s primary home. In 2023, Business Insider reported that such public outings, while seemingly innocent, could play a role in the legal battle, as they demonstrate the child’s presence in the state where Musk filed his lawsuit. Proving residency can involve everything from flight logs to interviews with nannies, and Musk’s high-profile outings with X might serve as visual evidence in his favor.
Grimes, for her part, has been vocal about her concerns regarding the children’s public exposure. In a September 2023 post on X, she pleaded with Musk to keep their kids out of the public eye, writing, “I wish I could show u how cute little Techno is, but my priority rn is keeping my babies out of the public eye. Plz respect that at this time.” Her stance was reiterated in November 2024, when she stated that X “should not be in public like this,” referencing a separate incident where Musk brought the child to the Oval Office. Given this context, Musk’s decision to parade X at the Grand Prix could be seen as a disregard for Grimes’s wishes, further complicating their post-settlement relationship.
Musk’s Complex Family Dynamics
The F1 Grand Prix appearance also shed light on Musk’s broader family dynamics, which have been a topic of fascination and scrutiny. Musk is a father to 14 children with four different women, a fact that has often made headlines. His pronatalist views—believing that people should have as many children as possible to combat population decline—have been well-documented, with Musk reportedly aspiring to build a “legion” of offspring. In October 2024, The New York Times reported that Musk was developing a family compound near Austin, Texas, where he hoped all his children and their mothers could live or visit, reflecting his vision of a close-knit, extended family.
However, this vision has been marred by strained relationships and public disputes. Musk’s estranged daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, has called him “cruel” and “narcissistic,” accusing him of withholding Grimes’s children during critical developmental periods. Vivian’s comments on Threads in July 2024 painted a damning picture of Musk’s parenting, alleging that his actions were “potentially irreversibly damaging” to the children’s psyche. Grimes herself has described Musk as “unrecognizable” during their custody battle, a far cry from the man she once called “the love of my life,” according to a November 2024 post on The Mercury News. These accounts contrast sharply with the image of Musk as a devoted father at the Grand Prix, raising questions about the complexities of his personal life.
Musk’s relationship with his children’s visibility has also been inconsistent. While he has expressed concerns about their safety—requesting in December 2023 that the custody case be sealed due to security risks, a motion granted by a Texas judge—he continues to bring X to high-profile events. In 2023, Musk claimed that X had been followed by a “crazy stalker” in an incident involving a car, citing this as a reason for his privacy concerns. Yet, his decision to showcase X at the F1 Grand Prix, just as he did in 2023, suggests a willingness to use these moments to shape his public narrative, even amidst legal and personal challenges.
The Broader Context: Musk’s Life in the Spotlight
Musk’s appearance at the Grand Prix came at a time when his public image was already under scrutiny. In early 2025, Tesla reported a 71% drop in profits for Q1, according to The New York Times, amid growing competition from Chinese automakers like BYD and criticism of Musk’s political involvement, particularly his support for the Trump administration. His ownership of X has also been contentious, with advertisers retreating from the platform—a move Musk has publicly lashed out against, even targeting Disney CEO Bob Iger in a November 2024 post, calling for him to be “fired immediately.”
Against this backdrop, Musk’s outing with X at the Grand Prix can be seen as a moment of reprieve—a chance to project a softer, more relatable side of himself. The Circuit of the Americas, located near Tesla’s Gigafactory in Austin, is a fitting stage for Musk, who has increasingly tied his personal and professional life to Texas. Since relocating Tesla’s headquarters to Austin in 2021, Musk has spent significant time in the state, though Grimes has argued he resides there less than half the time, according to legal filings reported by Business Insider in January 2024. His presence at the Grand Prix, with X by his side, reinforces his connection to Texas, both symbolically and legally.
A Moment of Joy, A Layer of Complexity
For all the legal and personal drama surrounding Musk’s life, the image of him and X at the F1 Grand Prix remains a poignant one. The joy on X’s face as he waved to the crowd, the pride in Musk’s eyes as he carried his son, and the shared experience of watching high-speed cars race by—these are universal moments of parenthood that transcend Musk’s billionaire status. Yet, they are inseparable from the larger narrative of his custody battle with Grimes, a dispute that has revealed the challenges of co-parenting in the public eye.
As Musk and Grimes navigate the aftermath of their settlement, the Grand Prix appearance serves as a reminder of the stakes involved—not just in terms of legal jurisdiction, but in the emotional well-being of their children. For Musk, it was a chance to be a father in the spotlight; for Grimes, it may have been a painful reminder of the public exposure she has sought to avoid for her kids. For the world watching, it was a glimpse into the messy, human side of a man often seen as larger than life—a man who, despite his wealth and influence, is still grappling with the same challenges of family, love, and loss as anyone else.
