Maye Musk was born in Regina, Saskatchewan; her parents, Winnifred Josephine “Wyn” and Dr. Joshua Norman Haldeman, nurtured her adventurous spirit from an early age. They moved to South Africa when she was two years old and took her across the Kalahari desert nine times. Her parents flew around the world in a prop plane and shared their experiences through presentations. Despite their fame, Maye
remembers them as humble and sincere people. Her early career was marked by a finalist position in the 1969 Miss South Africa beauty competition; later, she pursued two master’s degrees in dietetics and nutritional science and then received a PhD. Despite the challenges of single parenting, she successfully raised three children, including the renowned entrepreneur Elon Musk.
Maye’s expertise spans multiple fields. In fashion, she started her modeling career at 15, and in her 60s and 70s, she walked in fashion week runway shows, and appeared on prestigious magazine covers such as
Vogue, Marie Claire, Elle, Sports Illustrated,
and Harper’s Bazaar. She has also significantly contributed
to the nutrition industry, establishing her business across eight cities and three countries. Additionally, her bestseller “A Woman Makes a Plan: Advice for a Lifetime of Adventure, Beauty, and Success” has been translated into thirty two languages and inspires readers in over a hundred countries. Her speaking engagements cover topics from entrepreneurship to aging, and she presents at conferences and universities worldwide.
