In a revealing glimpse into the personal life of one of the world's most driven entrepreneurs, Talulah Riley, former wife of Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, has shared a poignant story of love under extreme pressure. The anecdote, featured in the 2022 BBC series The Elon Musk Show, highlights the human side of the tech magnate during a period of immense professional strain.
The Christmas Eve Oversight and a Barefoot Quest
Riley recounted a specific incident from their time together in Boulder, Colorado. It was late on Christmas Eve, and Musk, overwhelmed by the simultaneous pressures of running Tesla, SpaceX, and SolarCity, realized he had forgotten to buy her a present. "It's not that I don't love you—I do really, really love you. It's just that my brain is exploding," he told her, explaining his lapse.
Unable to ignore the mistake, Musk undertook an unconventional mission. In the middle of the night, wearing only a T-shirt and shorts, he slipped out of bed and disappeared barefoot into the snow. Riley recalled that he returned hours later with a bouquet of flowers he had managed to dig out of the frozen ground. His simple explanation was: "I just wanted to show you how much I loved you." This midnight gesture became a powerful symbol of Musk's intense, if sometimes unorthodox, emotional expression.
The Immense Stress Behind the Scenes
Riley's story sheds light on the incredible stress Musk was under during that era. She described a period where SpaceX was fighting for survival after repeated rocket failures, while Tesla was racing to deliver the Model S sedan under the weight of a $465 million government loan. Simultaneously, SolarCity was struggling to gain significant market traction.
Riley expressed deep concern for Musk's health at the time, stating she feared he might have a heart attack. "He was under incredible stress. I was worried he was going to have a heart attack. I just kept thinking, God, I've got to keep this guy alive," she said in the documentary. This context makes his late-night effort even more striking, illustrating his struggle to balance monumental professional demands with personal relationships.
Defending Musk's Emotional Core
Often perceived as cold or detached in public, Musk's character is defended by Riley, who offers a contrary view from their intimate relationship. "He is the most emotional person I know," she asserted. "He feels very, very deeply." The flower story serves as a key example she uses to counter the narrative of an unfeeling tech titan, portraying him instead as a man of profound feeling navigating an impossible workload.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's Praise for Musk's Foresight
In a related testament to Musk's unique vision, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang recently shared a story on the Joe Rogan podcast that aligns with this image of a committed pioneer. Huang recalled the 2016 launch of Nvidia's DGX-1, the first AI supercomputer. "When I announced this thing, nobody in the world wanted it. I had no purchase orders—not one," Huang said.
The sole exception was Elon Musk, who was present at the launch event. Musk expressed interest, revealing he had a non-profit company that could use the powerful machine. Huang personally delivered the DGX-1 to a small office that turned out to be the early headquarters of OpenAI, the organization that later created ChatGPT. Huang has frequently praised Musk for his early and critical role in advancing artificial intelligence, calling his contributions "very special."
Together, these accounts from Riley and Huang paint a multifaceted portrait of Elon Musk: a deeply emotional individual capable of grand romantic gestures under duress, and a visionary leader whose early bets, like supporting OpenAI, continue to shape the technological landscape.
