Tesla founder Elon Musk‘s transgender daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, has openly criticised her father for an alleged “Nazi Salute” gesture. In an interview with Teen Vogue, Wilson did not hold back in expressing her disapproval.
“The Nazi salute sht was insane. Honey, we’re going to call a fig a fig, and we’re going to call a Nazi salute what it was,” Wilson stated. “That sht was definitely a Nazi salute.”
Wilson further blamed the audience present at the event for not speaking out against the controversial gesture. “The crowd is equally to blame, and I feel like people are not talking about that. That crowd should be denounced,” she added.
Father-daughter relationship
Wilson’s criticism of Musk is not the first public indication of their strained relationship. In July 2024, she revealed to NBC News that she was in the process of cutting ties with her father. “I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form,” Wilson stated at the time.
In her recent Teen Vogue interview, Wilson reiterated her feelings of detachment. “I don’t give a f**k about him. I really don’t. It’s annoying that people associate me with him. I just don’t have any room to care anymore,” she said.
What is the “Nazi Salute” controversy?
The controversial hand gesture by Elon Musk took place during US President Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony on January 20, 2025. Musk placed his right hand on his chest and, with fingers spread, pushed it upward at an angle before repeating the gesture to his supporters at the back. Many netizens quickly compared the gesture to Adolf Hitler’s infamous “Nazi Salute.”
Historically, the Nazi Salute was prevalent in Hitler’s Germany from 1933 to 1945 and was followed by the phrase “Heil Hitler” or “Sieg Hitler.” According to a Guardian report, the salute remains one of the most common white supremacist hand signs in the world.
Despite the uproar, Elon Musk has not responded to the allegations or the comments made by his daughter.