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Maye Musk almost passed up an opportunity to make a splash in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit because she was worried about looking “wrinkly” in the iconic magazine.
The Canadian-born, South African-raised model made history in 2022 as the oldest Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model at 74 years old. Martha Stewart then broke the record at age 81 in 2023. Today, Musk looks back on that milestone and her journey from single mother of three to sought-after model in his new book, “Timeless.”
“At my age, you get wrinkles and cellulite on your arms and thighs, so I prefer to wear long sleeves,” the mother of tech mogul Elon Musk told Fox News Digital. “So the idea of wearing a swimsuit was very uncomfortable. But then my daughter called me. I told her they were going to film in Belize. She immediately said, ‘You have to go. Belize is beautiful.’ So, I did it. I took a chance.”
MAYE MUSK DEFENDS SYDNEY SWEENEY’S NAKED SPORTS ADVERTISING, RECALLS 12-YEAR PATH TO CITIZENSHIP
Canadian-South African model Maye Musk arrives for the screening of the film “Asteroid City” during the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, May 23, 2023. Musk has written a new book, “Timeless.” (Patricia De Melo Moreira/AFP via Getty Images)
In the book, Musk writes: “I was still 73 years old. My skin showed the signs of my weight having gone up and down so many times in my life, including each of my pregnancies. I’m wrinkled and I have cellulite. Swimsuit model?”
Despite her concerns, Musk said she felt comfortable when she began posing for photographer Yu Tsai. She even wore a colorful two-piece for the occasion.
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Maye Musk is seen here posing for the cover of Sports Illustrated’s 2022 Swimsuit Issue on January 29, 2022, in Belize (Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated via Contour AR by Getty Images)
“It was very unusual,” she said with a laugh. “I’ve been told my whole life that I’m not a swimsuit model. When you think of swimsuit models, you think of Victoria’s Secret models. They’re really unique body shapes. So it was a challenge for me. But like I said, you have to take risks in life. And I knew they weren’t going to post ugly photos. At one point, I felt so comfortable that I even started dancing with local people. I was in awe of exploring a new country, a new culture. This is what I love doing.
WATCH: MAYE MUSK DISCUSS RAISING ELON MUSK AND Escaping A TOXIC MARRIAGE IN NEW ‘TIMELESS’ MEMOIRS
Looking back, Musk said she wondered why she was so nervous.
“When women go to the beach, they wrap themselves in a towel,” she said. “But men can be obese, and they still strut around with such confidence in Speedos. We really need to make a change. And if a man insults your body, well, he can lose himself. There will always be someone who feels the need to criticize you. It’s not fair. But it’s all about accepting who you are and not apologizing for it.”
Maye Musk’s book “Timeless: The Art of Reinvention and Resilience at Any Age” is available now. (Harper Wave)
Musk didn’t get a makeover to look younger for the cover. Her signature silver hair remained intact.
Maye Musk attends the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue 2025 Launch at Hard Rock Hotel New York on May 15, 2025, in New York City. (Getty Images for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit)
“Why should I color my hair?” » Musk said. “You have to do the roots every four weeks, and I was doing it myself. Then your hair becomes very brittle because it’s very damaged. And it grows back. And then I decided to cut my hair short. Shortly after, I had four billboards in Times Square. I didn’t feel like a grandmother. I felt fashionable.”
This wasn’t the first time Elon Musk attempted a modeling assignment.
L-R: Christie Brinkley, Maye Musk, Brooks Nader, Kate Love, Kate Upton and Lily Aldridge attend Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’s celebration of the 2024 issue release and Swimsuit Island’s 60th anniversary in Hollywood, Florida on May 17, 2024. (Getty Images for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit)
In her book, Musk describes a phone call she received from her agent: “Tomorrow you pose naked for the cover of TIME magazine. You’re the only model they want and they won’t budge.”
Musk had never done a nude photoshoot because, as she wrote, “no one ever asked.”
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Maye Musk, author and dietitian, also runs campaigns with big-name brands like CoverGirl and Dior Beauty. (Fadil Berisha)
Before undressing, Musk asked his children for advice.
“I first picked up the phone to call Elon, then stopped,” Musk wrote. “I already knew what he would say: ‘Absolutely not.’ He wasn’t the kind of son who wanted his mother naked on magazine covers. Not prudish, but definitely more conservative when it comes to nudity. So I called Tosca. I wasn’t too surprised to find that she wasn’t enamored with the idea either. “You never do naked!” she said. Her instinct was protective, she didn’t want me to risk an uncomfortable experience. »
Maye Musk and Elon Musk attend the 2022 Met Gala celebrating “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2022 in New York. (Getty Images)
“Finally, I called Kimbal,” she wrote. “Of my three children, he is the most relaxed and free-spirited. (He met his current wife at Burning Man.) He had a completely different perspective. ‘It’s TIME magazine. It’s journalism,’ he said. ‘Not a nudie magazine. It will be tasteful. You have nothing to fear. Just do it.'”
Musk told Fox News Digital that it was important for her to get her children’s approval before posing nude.
Maye Musk walks the runway during the Philipp Plein fashion show during Milan Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2023/2024 on February 25, 2023, in Milan, Italy. (Getty Images)
“Well, would you like your mother naked on the cover of a magazine?” she said.
“But it was Kimbal who encouraged me. He said it would be tasteful. He’s always been a free spirit. And I trust him. When I arrived for the photo shoot, they were very careful with me. You have a makeup artist who has to go over your entire body. Then they did my hair and makeup very simply. Then they sat me down with a mirror in front of me, so I could see exactly what the photographer sees.”
From left: Kimbal Musk, his mother Maye Musk and his wife Christiana Musk attend the Kering Caring For Women Foundation dinner in New York. (Getty Images)
“The photographer came for the photo shoot, and maybe five minutes later it was over,” she said. “It was very quick and very respectful. They immediately brought me a bathrobe. I changed and went home. That’s it.”
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Maye Musk attends the Sports Illustrated Swim Issue Launch Party at Hard Rock Hotel on May 16, 2024 in New York. (WWD via Getty Images)
For Musk, aging confidently isn’t just about accepting wrinkles and silver hair. The longtime dietitian also believes that taking care of your health plays an important role in feeling your best at any age.
Maye Musk attends the Juzui FW25 Collection fashion show at Glasshouse in New York on February 7, 2025. (Getty Images for Juzui)
“It gets harder to lose weight as you age,” Musk said. “With my patients, I always tell them to anticipate. If you’re hungry, there’s no salad next to you.
From left: Tosca Musk and her mother Maye Maye Musk attend the New York premiere of “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” at Jazz at Lincoln Center on September 8, 2025. (Wireframe)
“Even 10 pounds can make you uncomfortable,” she said. “Everything is tight and you don’t have confidence. You have to track your food intake. If a patient doesn’t follow what I’ve recommended, they have to explain why. You have to hold yourself accountable if you want to make smarter choices for your health.”
Maye Musk attends the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue 2022 Launch and Pay With Change Launch at Hard Rock Hotel New York on May 19, 2022. (Getty Images)
Musk has said that every decade of his life has been better than the last. At 78, she happily embraces aging and hopes other women will do the same.
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Maye Musk visits “Fox & Friends” at the Fox News Channel studios in New York on September 18, 2026. (Getty Images)
“When my mother was 86, she left South Africa for Canada and started over,” Musk said. “She was an artist. In her 90s, her hands weren’t strong enough to make the wood carvings she loved. So, at 94, she started making computer art. My older sister taught her. She died at 98. But she always remained curious and busy. She was always exploring.”
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L-R: Maye Musk, Christen Harper, Hailey Clauson and Georgina Burke attend Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’s Swimsuit on Location event at Hard Rock Seminole in Hollywood, Florida on May 21, 2022. (Getty Images for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit)
“You’re never too old to start again,” Musk said. “And don’t worry about wrinkles. A man doesn’t care about having wrinkles. He always has his confidence. When you feel insecure, you become less attractive. I didn’t do anything to my face because I wanted to frown and have an expression. But also, don’t mix with people who put you in danger. They are not your friends. And there will be people who will push you down. You can’t stay down. You just have to be yourself. stand up and show off your talents, who you are.”
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