Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsMaye Musk said she recognized Elon’s genius when he was three—but she also stressed that this did not tell her whether he would accomplish great things. The statement was a retrospective recollection in a 2021 interview, not an independently verified account of what she thought at the time.
What Maye Musk said about Elon at age three
In a January 26, 2021 report, People quoted Maye Musk saying: “Well at 3, I knew he was a genius, but you still don’t know if he’s going to do great things.” She added: “Because many geniuses end up in a basement being a genius but not applying it.” The qualification is central: she distinguished perceived ability from what a person might go on to do. People’s report attributes the remarks to Maye.
The interview context
People reported that Maye made the remarks while promoting her memoir, A Woman Makes a Plan: Advice for a Lifetime of Adventure, Beauty, and Success, during an appearance on CBS This Morning. She connected her excitement about Elon’s later work to Zip2, describing its door-to-door directions and newspaper links to restaurants, and said she invested in the company early.
She also referred to PayPal and Elon’s later involvement in space research, solar energy, and electric cars. Maye recalled advising him to choose one area; he did not. The exchange places her age-three comment in a broader reflection on his interests and work, rather than presenting it as a prediction that she knew what his future would hold.
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Maye’s separate story about a computer game
People’s account also included a distinct recollection about Elon at age 12. Maye said he created a computer game on his own, which she showed to university engineering students, and that he submitted it to a magazine. This, too, is reported as her account; it is separate from the age-three statement and does not independently verify it.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the report can—and cannot—establish
The age-three claim is Maye Musk’s retrospective recollection as quoted in People’s report. The report does not independently establish what she thought when Elon was three. Futurism repeated the central quote in a January 27, 2021 follow-up and linked readers to People, but People provides the closer account of the interview context.
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