LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Elon Musk commands attention everywhere he goes — a trait he may have inherited from his mother, Maye Musk.

But while Elon Musk’s fame is all about tech, and the riches he has made from his enterprising ventures, his mother’s background if very different. Maye Musk has been modeling since age 15, and she raised her three children on her own after leaving an a abusive marriage.

Her story is well documented in magazine articles — ranging from financial giant Forbes to Vanity Fair. And in 2019, she told the story in her book, “A Woman Makes a Plan: Advice for a Lifetime of Adventure, Beauty, and Success.”

“People often ask me how I have raised such successful kids. I did it by letting them follow their interests,” she writes.

“If they prefer to start a business and you think it’s a good idea, support them. Teach your children good manners. But let them decide what they want.”

Fast facts:

  • Born in Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1948. She was a twin.
  • Moved with her family to Pretoria, South Africa, in 1950
  • Finalist in 1969 Miss South Africa beauty pageant
  • Married Errol Musk in 1970
  • Earned two master’s degrees — dietetics and nutritional science
  • Divorced in 1979
  • Moved to Canada 1989

She has lists of credits, including Revlon ads, Elle magazine, ad campaigns for Target and Virgin America, and nude covers for Time magazine and New York magazine. She became CoverGirl’s oldest spokesmodel at age 69 in September 2017.

Another excerpt from her book:

I love my kids, and I’m so proud of them for everything they have accomplished. My oldest child, Elon, is making electric cars to save the environment and launching rockets. My middle child, Kimbal, opened farm-to-table restaurants and is teaching children across the country to build fruit and vegetable gardens in underserved schools. My youngest child, Tosca, runs her own entertainment company, producing and directing romance films from bestselling novels. They all have different interests.

Elon Musk’s impression on Nevada — from Solar City, to Tesla’s Gigafactory, and on to the Boring Company’s tunnel system — has been growing steadily. He credits his mother for instilling independence, entrepreneurship, resourcefulness and fearlessness.