Elon Musk Cuts Monthly Payments to the Mother of His Son to $20,000 After She Speaks Publicly About Their Relationship

Elon Musk has reduced monthly payments to Ashley St. Clair, the mother of one of his children, to $20,000 after she spoke publicly about their relationship. The claim appears in a new documentary by director Alex Gibney, Musk, which was released in theaters on October 16.

St. Clair, 28, a former conservative influencer, met the billionaire in 2023 through Twitter, which was later renamed X. According to her, Musk regularly reacted to her posts, and after one Mother’s Day post, he suggested that she should have more children.

Ashley recalls that Musk soon invited her to Providence, Rhode Island, on his private jet. She describes him as intelligent and kind, but also rather unusual. According to St. Clair, the billionaire repeatedly told her he wanted to have children with her and suggested that she have ten.

However, their relationship changed after the birth of their son, Romulus. The documentary claims that Musk’s close aide, Jared Birchall, discussed an agreement with St. Clair that was presented as a financial support arrangement for the child but allegedly disguised a nondisclosure agreement. According to Ashley, the document offered a one-time payment of $15 million and monthly payments of $100,000 for 20 years. She refused to sign it.

After St. Clair publicly announced the birth of her child in late 2024, the monthly payments reportedly fell from $100,000 to $40,000, according to the documentary. They were later cut in half again, to $20,000. The Wall Street Journal had previously reported on the changes to the payments.

“It seemed like he didn’t show a certain side of himself until we had a child,” St. Clair said in the documentary.

The former partners are still involved in a legal dispute over custody of their son. Ashley has filed a lawsuit seeking sole custody, while Musk has said he intends to seek the same arrangement in his own favor.

Gibney’s documentary examines Musk’s influence on business, technology and politics, while also exploring his personal life. Among those interviewed are not only St. Clair but also the billionaire’s former wife, Justine Musk. Musk declined to participate in the project, calling it biased and describing it as an attempt to tarnish his reputation. Representatives for Musk and Birchall did not respond to requests for comment from People.