Who claims to have given birth to Elon Musk’s 13th child?

The 26-year-old stated that Musk, whom she described as "down to earth" and "funny," had asked her to keep their child’s existence a secret and to leave his name off the birth certificate for privacy reasons, according to Independent.

Her announcement on Feb. 15 stirred online debate after she posted: "Five months ago, I welcomed a new baby into the world. Elon Musk is the father."

Born in Florida and raised in Colorado, St. Clair is known for her conservative views. She authored the 2021 children’s book "Elephants Are Not Birds", which she described as an "unapologetic rebuke of transgender acceptance."

She has appeared on Fox News, conservative podcasts, and web shows, frequently discussing America’s declining birth rate, according to the New York Post.

St. Clair has been a longtime contributor to The Babylon Bee, a right-wing satire website. In 2019, she resigned from her role as a brand ambassador for the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, according to First Post.

About a year ago, she moved into a high-end Manhattan apartment near City Hall, with rent estimated between $12,000 and $15,000 per month. According to the Daily Mail, a resident of the luxury condo claimed St. Clair was the first person he knew to own a Tesla Cybertruck. Another resident said that St. Clair kept to herself and was highly security-conscious, installing a Ring doorbell camera despite the building’s strict security measures.

Conservative influencer Ashley St. Clair. Photo from X

In a Feb. 15 interview with the New York Post, St. Clair said her romance with Musk was brief, and he wanted to keep their child’s existence secret for security reasons. She claimed they first connected on X in May 2023 before meeting in person to interview him for her former employer.

At the time, she was 24 and Musk was 51. She said their relationship developed from there until she became pregnant. She also alleged that she was restricted from telling anyone outside a small circle about her pregnancy and has had no communication with Musk since making her public statement.

"Ashley & Elon have been privately working towards an agreement on raising their child for some time," her representative, Brian Glicklich, posted on X on Feb. 15.

Despite the controversy, St. Clair said she is at peace with her decision to go public, hoping it will allow her child to live a normal life. "I am a good mom. And that’s what drives most of my decisions and my kids are my whole world."

Musk is the CEO of EV maker Tesla, founder of aerospace firm SpaceX, and world’s richest man with a net worth of US$394.2 billion.

He and his first wife, Justine Wilson, had six children, though their first, born in 2002, passed away from sudden infant death syndrome.

He has three more children with his second wife, the singer Grimes, and another three with Neuralink operations director Shivon Zilis.