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Elon Musk brings son X AE A-Xii to Time Person of the Year event

Musk welcomed son with musician Grimes last year

Clémence Michallon
New York City
Tuesday 14 December 2021 17:18 EST
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‘Time’ Names Elon Musk Person of the Year

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Elon Musk brought his one-year-old son X AE A-Xii to a Q&A after being announced as Time’s Person of the Year.

Musk joined Time editor-in-chief and CEO Edward Felsenthal for a conversation on Monday night in New York City.

He walked in carrying the toddler, and kept his son on his lap during the interview.

Musk and musician Grimes, who began dating in 2018, welcomed their son in May last year.

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO said in September that he and Grimes are “semi-separated” – a descriptor he used again in his Person of the Year interview with Time.

Elon Musk and his son X Æ A-Xii at a Time Person of the Year event on 13 December 2021 in New York City
Elon Musk and his son X Æ A-Xii at a Time Person of the Year event on 13 December 2021 in New York City (Theo Wargo/Getty Images for TIME)

“Grimes and I are, I’d say, probably semi-separated,” he told the magazine.

“Her work has her being in different places a lot vs my work. So we weren’t seeing each other that much, because what she needs to do is mostly in LA or touring, and my work is mostly in remote locations like this. I’m human and all; I’m not a robot, but this place is basically a techno monastery.”

Elon Musk and his son X Æ A-Xii at a Time Person of the Year event on 13 December 2021 in New York City
Elon Musk and his son X Æ A-Xii at a Time Person of the Year event on 13 December 2021 in New York City (Theo Wargo/Getty Images for TIME)

In an article explaining why Time picked Musk as its person of the year, Felsenthal wrote: “For nearly a century, Time has named a Person of the Year – the individual or group who most shaped the previous 12 months, for better or for worse.

“Person of the Year is a marker of influence, and few individuals have had more influence than Musk on life on Earth, and potentially life off Earth too. In 2021, Musk emerged not just as the world’s richest person but also as perhaps the richest example of a massive shift in our society.”

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