He’s been accused of paying too much attention to UK politics in recent times but it appears that Elon Musk has no intention of forming a ‘special relationship’ with his British family.
The world’s richest man has close family ties with Liverpool – where his late grandmother was born – and spent time there as a young child on holiday.
But one relative told how the billionaire tech tycoon cruelly snubbed the family when they discovered the connection and tried to make contact.
Speaking for the first time about the family relationship with Musk, his cousin Marshall Robinson, 86, said: ‘I have never been in touch but one of the family did send him a social media message and he just said: ‘What do you want?’ That was it.’
Musk – who is said to be worth more than £380 billion – has become one of Britain’s fiercest critics since Sir Keir Starmer’s election win, warning the country has become ‘a tyrannical police state’.
But the South African-born Tesla tycoon once proudly declared he was ‘from a British/English not an Afrilkaner background’.
When Margaret Thatcher died in 2013, the entrepreneur paid tribute on Twitter – which he now owns and has rebranded as X – saying the late Prime Minister was ‘tough but sensible and fair like my English Nana’.
Cora Amelia Robinson, one of five siblings, was born in the family’s modest terraced house in Mossley Hill, Liverpool in August 1923.
Elon Musk’s cousin Marshall Robinson, 86 says he was snubbed by the billionaire businessman when he tried to make contact
Musk has previously emphasised his English roots, and described former prime minister Margaret Thatcher as ‘tough but sensible and fair like my English Nana’
The garden at a Liverpool property built on the plot of land which used to be the home of Elon Musk’s grandmother
She grew up in pre-war poverty as part of a ‘proud, hard-working family’ before leaving the UK to settle in South Africa where she married Walter Musk in 1944.
The couple went on to have a son Errol who had three children of his own – Elon, brother Kimbal and sister Tosca.
In recent weeks Musk, 53, has declared he is a supporter of the Reform Party, and was photographed with leader Nigel Farage and treasurer Nick Candy at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
He is now reportedly preparing to hand over a $100 million (£78 million) donation to the party.
But after being tracked down by MailOnline, Musk’s British relations told how the SpaceX founder appeared to have previously had very little interest in the country or his family that still lives here.
Marshall, a retired merchant seaman, hit out at Musk for meddling in matters which don’t concern him.
Speaking at his modest terraced house in the run down Lancashire seaside town of Fleetwood, he said: ‘I think he’s stupid with all the things he comes out with.
‘It’s pretty shocking with what he has become and how he’s linked to the President-elect Trump.’
He added: ‘I’m shocked that I’ve now got a link to the White House.
‘I obviously knew we were related because of the name Musk which is Scottish.
‘I’ve never met Elon. I met his father in South Africa when I was in the merchant navy a long time ago.
Mr Robinson says he has never met his tycoon cousin on the other side of the Atlantic, but has seen Musk’s father
The front of the two-storey home built on the land where Musk’s grandmother lived in Merseyside
Musk’s grandmother’s kitchen. She grew up in pre-war poverty as part of a ‘proud, hard-working family’ before leaving the UK to settle in South Africa
One of the bedrooms in the Liverpool home
Another one of the bedroom’s at the former Musk home in Merseyside
‘I have never been in touch but one of the family did send him a social media message and he just said: ‘What do you want?’ That was it.’
Marshall is one of four children born to Cora’s brother Kenneth Robinson – three of whom still live in the UK.
As well as the north west, Musk also has relatives in Gloucestershire.
Marshall’s sister Shane, 67, also lives in the fishing port and told how she discovered the connection by chance while looking into the family tree.
The mother-of-five said: ‘’I have not been in touch with Elon – and I don’t know what I’d say to him.
‘I don’t think Elon has snubbed the family but he hasn’t shown any interest in us from what I know.
‘I have thought about getting in touch with Elon but I decided not to – we’re his poor relations after all.
‘I was shocked to learn we were related to him. I didn’t realise the family connection until I started researching our family tree.’
Shane told how she was introduced to Musk’s brother when he was visiting the UK with his grandmother.
She said: ‘Cora once came over to see my dad more than 20 years ago so I asked him: ‘Will you bring her to meet us?’
‘And he did bring them. Cora brought Kimbal with her but Elon wasn’t with them.
‘I decided to look into my dad’s side of the family but I had not got much information.
‘I then searched Kimbal’s name and then everything came up about Elon. My computer lit up with all this stuff about Elon.
‘It was a big shock.
The living room with red rug and television. Marshall, a retired merchant seaman, has hit out at Musk for meddling in matters which don’t concern him
Outdoor space at the Liverpool home of Musk’s grandmother. The Tesla founder also has relatives in Gloucestershire
The hallway at Musk’s grandmother’s family home in Liverpool
The home from the back garden with stone path and manicured lawn
‘I messaged him and said I was searching my family tree and Kimbal said he did remember us.
‘I have been in touch with Elon’s dad and he remembered my dad.’
Although she hasn’t met Musk, Shane said she believed he may be misunderstood.
She said: ‘’A lot of people say he is a bit mad but he is very intelligent – intelligent people often don’t come across very well.’
