Errol Musk Recalls 1998 Shooting That Saved His Daughter from Alleged Ritual Attack

In a shocking interview on the Anything Goes with James English podcast, Errol Musk, 79, the father of Elon Musk, opened up about a life-or-death encounter that occurred in 1998 at one of his properties in Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa. According to Musk, he fatally shot three armed intruders who, he claimed, intended to ritually murder and cannibalize his six-year-old daughter, Ali.

Musk recounted that the men—one dressed in a tie and jacket—somehow breached the property’s electric fencing. While preparing a bath for his daughter, he heard a disturbance and found himself staring down a gun barrel. “I saw sparks as he fired. Luckily, my karate reflexes kicked in,” said Musk, referencing his 20 years of martial arts training.

He quickly retrieved his .357 Magnum, fatally shooting the man who fired at him. The same bullet reportedly struck another intruder, while a second shot to the hip killed a third.

Despite 52 bullets being fired at him, Musk wasn’t hit—though he did suffer hearing loss. He was later acquitted of manslaughter, the court ruling it was self-defense.

“I wasn’t proud of it… but it was either them or my daughter,” Musk said. “They would’ve eaten her. That’s what they do.”

The chilling account has sparked renewed attention on the Musk family’s complex and controversial history.