Elon Musk’s ex-wife, Canadian author Justine Wilson, recently shared an interesting insight about what she believes helped Elon become so successful. In a TEDx Talk from a few years ago, Justine said that Elon’s secret wasn’t just hard work—it was his ability to say “No.”
Justine explained, “I was married to a man who became very successful. I noticed two main things—he worked much harder than most people, and he said no to a lot of things.”
She said Elon often refused to give his time, attention, or energy to things that didn’t help him reach his goals. Instead, he focused on what truly mattered to him.
“He said no to people who wanted his time and energy. He protected his time so he could use it for his own goals,” Justine said. “I realized that behind every ‘no,’ there’s a bigger ‘yes’—a commitment to what you really want.”
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She also talked about Elon’s background, saying he grew up in a tough, male-dominated culture in South Africa. That competitive mindset helped him succeed in business and didn’t stop when he was at home.
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Justine and Elon got married in 2000 and moved to Los Angeles. Sadly, they lost their first child, Nevada, to SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Later, they had twins and triplets. The couple divorced in 2008—the same year Elon became the CEO of Tesla.
Despite the ups and downs in their marriage, Justine said she doesn’t regret it. She believes Elon’s story shows how powerful focus and strong personal boundaries can be.
