Just found out Elon Musk clarified something about his background that most people get wrong. Turns out he's British/English descent, not Afrikaner like everyone assumes. He actually posted about it back in early 2024, saying is elon musk british through his family roots, similar to how J.R.R. Tolkien was also born in South Africa but had English parents. That Tolkien connection is pretty wild because Musk is apparently a huge Tolkien fan and has cited his works constantly on social media. Some people even say Tolkien's literature played a role in his relationship with Grimes, which is kind of a cool detail. The whole thing started because someone on social media mischaracterized him as growing up in an Afrikaner family, and Musk decided to set the record straight. Is elon musk british then? Yeah, basically. He was born in Pretoria in 1971, but his heritage traces back to 19th-century British settlers, not the Dutch/German/French Afrikaner descendants. Tolkien had a similar vibe - born in Bloemfontein but came from English stock. Funny how both ended up being shaped by South Africa but identifying more with their British roots. The distinction seems important to Musk for some reason, which makes sense if you care about where you actually come from versus what people assume about you.