Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk allegedly offered conservative influencer Ashley St. Clair a one-time payment of $15 million, along with $100,000 monthly to keep the birth of their child confidential, according to a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report.
St. Clair, 26, publicly revealed in February 2025 that she had given birth to Musk’s son five months earlier. She said she had kept the birth a secret to protect the child’s privacy and safety. Musk, 53, later expressed doubts about the paternity via social media.
According to the WSJ, a paternity test has confirmed Musk as the father with a 99.9999% probability. The child, named Romulus, reportedly does not bear Musk’s name on his birth certificate.
The offer was allegedly brokered by Jared Birchall, Musk’s longtime associate, and included $15 million for a house and living expenses, plus $100,000 monthly support until the child turned 21 in exchange for St. Clair signing a confidentiality agreement and non-disparagement clause. Notably, the agreement didn’t offer reciprocal protections for her, nor did it guarantee future support in case of serious illness or Musk’s untimely death.
Musk, citing security concerns, reportedly described himself in a text as “#2 after Trump for assassination,” saying it was too dangerous to make the child’s paternity public.
St. Clair ultimately declined the deal, saying it would make her son feel “illegitimate.” She later went public with the birth on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “Five months ago, I welcomed a new baby into the world. Elon Musk is the father… I have not previously disclosed this to protect our child’s privacy and safety.”
Following her announcement, Musk allegedly retracted the $15 million offer and reduced the monthly support from $100,000 to $40,000, and later to $20,000.
In March, Musk acknowledged making financial payments to St. Clair, writing: “I don’t know if the child is mine or not, but am not against finding out. Despite not knowing for sure, I have given Ashley $2.5M and am sending her $500k/year.”
Musk is believed to have at least 14 children, including six with his ex-wife Justine Musk, three with musician Grimes, and four with tech executive Shivon Zilis.
