Vivian Wilson, the transgender daughter of Elon Musk, has publicly criticised Walter Isaacson's biography of her father, claiming it depicts her in a "defamatory" light and uses her as a "villain backstory" to explain Musk's behaviour.
In a series of posts on Threads, Wilson expressed her dissatisfaction with the book, stating, "To Walter Isaacson, you threw me to the wolves in what was one of the most humiliating experiences of my entire life." She accused Isaacson of portraying her "in a light that is genuinely defamatory" and positioning her and Musk as opposing forces due to her political beliefs and gender identity.
Isaacson's biography details the strained relationship between Musk and Wilson. According to the book, Musk attributed their disagreements to her "communist" views and expressed sadness over their estrangement, comparing it to the pain of losing his firstborn son. The book also mentions that Musk learned of Wilson's transition secondhand.
Wilson claims Isaacson did not contact her directly for the biography despite spending months with Musk for research. While Isaacson stated he reached out through family members, the book includes quotes about Wilson from various sources except Wilson herself.
Wilson has recently been more vocal about her relationship with Musk. In an interview with NBC News last month, she described him as a "cruel and absent father," characterising him as "cold," "uncaring," and "narcissistic." This interview followed Musk's anti-trans comments about Wilson on social media, where he misgendered her and claimed she was "dead, killed by the woke mind virus."
As of yet, there has been no public response from Musk, Isaacson, or his publisher, Simon & Schuster.