Elon Musk’s Mom Shares Why She Sleeps On The Floor When Visiting Her Son

Musk's minimalist lifestyle includes cutting back on sleep, meals, and entertainment. He even limits the space and comfort of his own home. For instance, when his mother, Maye Musk, visits him at SpaceX’s base in Texas, she often ends up staying in less-than-luxurious conditions. In an interview with The Times UK, Maye shared, “I have to sleep in the garage. You can’t have a fancy house near a rocket site.” She added with a laugh, “Tosca and I were joking the other day about how we all lived in a one-bedroom apartment for a year.”

Maye also recounted her experiences on X (formerly Twitter), where she described sleeping on mattresses or blankets on the floor and sometimes on a couch or even in the garage. She mentioned that her other children, Tosca and Kimball, also sleep on the floor when they visit. “We adapt. It’s still better than sleeping on the ground in the Kalahari Desert with lions or hyenas nearby, which I did as a child,” she said.

Musk's minimalism extends to his living situation as well. In a 2022 TED talk, he revealed, “I don’t even own a place right now; I’m literally staying at friends’ places.” True to his word, Musk sold his five large homes and moved into a modest, two-bedroom modular home near SpaceX’s Texas site, valued at about $50,000. Although this tiny home is his main residence, there are rumors he may have recently bought a larger family home.

Maye Musk also shared her thoughts on space missions, particularly the idea of sending humans to Mars. She admitted that the thought of six months of preparation and isolation doesn’t appeal to her. “But if my kids want me to do it, I will do it,” she said.