Elon Musk's mother bashed a New York Times' article which said her son had 'white privilege' in apartheid-era South Africa and was 'detached from apartheid's atrocities'.
Maye Musk condemned the article, published on Thursday, that said her son was sheltered from the segregation and anti-black government propaganda that plagued South Africa throughout his childhood.
In promoting the article on Twitter, the Times wrote: 'Elon Musk grew up in elite white communities in South Africa, detached from apartheid's atrocities and surrounded by anti-Black propaganda.
'He sees his takeover of Twitter as a free speech win but in his youth did not suffer the effects of misinformation,' The Times added, referencing Musk's $44 billion takeover of the social media platform.
Maye snapped back at the paper on Twitter, writing: 'In South Africa, if you publicly opposed apartheid, you went to jail. In Russia, if you publicly oppose the war, you go to jail. @nytimes, are you going to blame children for decisions made by governments?'
The New York Times published an article (pictured) suggesting Elon Musk was sheltered from the horrors of apartheid in South Africa due to his white privilege
In promoting the article on Twitter, the Times wrote: 'Elon Musk grew up in elite white communities in South Africa, detached from apartheid's atrocities and surrounded by anti-Black propaganda. He sees his takeover of Twitter as a free speech win but in his youth did not suffer the effects of misinformation'
Maye Musk, mother of the Tesla CEO, slammed the Times on Twitter for the article
Maye is pictured attending the 2022 Met Gala on Sunday as her son's guest. Her defense of her son comes as the billionaire is poised to purchase Twitter for $44 billion
In the article, the Times interviewed relatives and classmates of the Tesla CEO and richest man in the world, revealing that the communities Musk grew up in, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban, were all shrouded in misinformation that influenced its residents.
'We were really clueless as white South African teenagers. Really clueless,' Melanie Cheary, a classmate of Mr. Musk's at Bryanston High School, told the Times.
While the article claimed that the cities fell victim to the government's propaganda campaign, with newspapers arriving to readers with whole sections blacked-out, it ultimately suggested that the censorship seen in South Africa may have influenced Musk's intense defense of free speech as he's repeatedly voiced his opposition to how Twitter bans individuals.
Others also took to Twitter to slam the Times' article, claiming it was ridiculous to suggest Musk could have done anything to stop apartheid as a child.
One Twitter user with the handle Ataxerex2020 wrote, 'I'm certain @elonmusk was aware of the horrors of apartheid, it does not mean he approved of it as the article subtly implies.'
Another Twitter user mocked the story, suggesting a different headline: 'Why did Elon Musk not single-handedly abolish apartheid at age 3?'
Twitter user Geoffrey Miller expressed his frustration at the Times, writing: 'This is one of the most unethically cringe & toxically stupid smears the @nytimes has ever published. Shame on you, you sociopathic ghouls.'
Tim Young, another Twitter user, wrote: 'The New York Times: 'Elon Musk didn't end apartheid in South Africa as a child, therefore he is evil now.''
Other's took to Twitter to condemn the New York Time's suggestion that Musk was ever influenced by apartheid-era misinformation in his native South Africa
Although the article goes into detail on how apartheid-era propaganda influenced white residents and clouded the horrors of the conflict, it repeatedly mentions Musk's criticisms of apartheid and his close relationships with black classmates and family friends.
Errol Musk, the billionaire's estranged father
