Elon's Baby Mama Situation is Pathetic, The “MrBeast Experience” Disaster, & 245% China Tariffs
PDS Published 04/16/2025
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he Wall Street Journal has stooped to a level even lower than TMZ.
That’s what Elon Musk is saying in response to an exposé about his many, many children and the tactics he uses to keep them under his control. [Post and article]
But before we dive in, let’s make sure we’re straight about who’s who in this whole mess.
Right, so Musk has had at least 14 children with at least four different women that we know of, and I’ll get into that later.
With the mothers being the author Justine Wilson, the pop musician Grimes, the Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis [Pronounce 00:34], and the right-wing influencer Ashley St. Clair.
Then, for the kids, there was his first child, Nevada Alexander, who died shortly after being born.
Next, the triplets Kai, Saxon and Damian.
The twins Griffin and Vivian, who notably became estranged from her father after he refused to accept her transgender identity.
Then Strider and Azure [Pronounce 00:29].
And then this name [X Æ A-12], which, depending on whether you ask Musk or Grimes, is either pronounced X [ash] A-12 or X [AI] A-12.
Followed by Exa Dark Sideræl [sigh-deer-ee-el], whom Grimes said has been informally though not legally renamed Y, and that can alternately be spelled like the letter, the question or just the pure question mark.
Then we’ve got Techno Mechanicus, also known as Tau, Seldon Lycurgus [Pronounce 00:37], Arcadia and Romulus. [Headline, post, Post, ]
But I said “that we know of” earlier because the Journal reports that multiple sources close to Musk believe the true number of kids is much higher than 14. [Quote, find “much higher”]
But whatever the number, Musk reportedly calls his offspring collectively a “legion,” an apparent reference to the military units of the Roman Empire. [Quote same link, find “Roman”]
Such as when he reportedly told St. Clair during her pregnancy:
“To reach legion-level before the apocalypse, we will need to use surrogates.” [Quote same link]
With him there referencing his conviction that declining birth rates will lead to civilizational collapse unless people start pumping out babies, a typically right-wing belief known as pro-natalism.
Though according to the Journal, one source said Musk is concerned not just about low birth rates in rich countries, but also high birth rates in “Third World countries” and the disparity between them. [Quote same link]
Which is why, according to multiple people close to him, he believes educated people need to repopulate the Earth with high-IQ babies. [Quote same link, find “educated” and “IQ”]
Specifically through C-sections, not vaginal birth, because he also believes the latter limits brain size. [Post]
Which, by the way, is not supported by the evidence; in fact, there’s research suggesting vaginal-birth babies have better cognition than C-section ones.
Anyway, throughout its investigation, the Journal paints a picture of a man who is pretty much constantly looking for women to impregnate.
So much so that reportedly he often looks for prospective mothers on X, which is how he met St. Clair.
Though with her, they apparently had the romance and baby talk after meeting in person.
For others, like the cryptocurrency influencer Tiffany Fong, he allegedly just slides in their DMs like, hey, wanna have my babies? [Image]
So with 14+ kids and a growing list of mothers to manage, Musk doesn’t have time to handle it all on his own.
Right, I mean, he’s gotta run Tesla, SpaceX, X, his smaller business ventures and now DOGE, and he’s apparently posting memes a good chunk of the day.
So he outsources much of his life to this guy, Jared Birchall [Pronounce 00:10]. [Image]
Right, he’s basically Elon’s right-hand man, his fixer, the Carl to his Logan Roy.
With him managing the billionaire’s fortune, assembling the team that helped Musk buy Twitter, and helping organize the 250 million dollar effort to get Trump elected.
But more quietly, he also runs Musk’s family office.
Which entails stuff like acquiring the property for a compound in Austin, Texas where Musk reportedly wanted his entire harem of baby mommas and their kids to all live. [Quote, find “compound”]
And apparently at least Zilis lives there, but Grimes refused.
Then, according to the Journal, Birchall also manages a complex web of privacy and financial agreements between Musk and his various lovers, both current and former.
Which often get signed under threat of punishment, according to documents and sources.
So allegedly Musk pays them money for the childcare expenses, but also throws in nondisclosure clauses. [Quote same link, find “push back”]
And then, if the mothers push back or seek outside counsel, Musk’s advisers, including Birchall, allegedly threaten them with financial retribution. [Same quote]
So for St. Clair, for example, the Journal reports that Musk offered her 15 million dollars for a home and living expenses, plus 100,000 dollars a month until their first child turned 21. [Quote same link, find “turned 21”]
With him allegedly demanding complete and total silence about the kid and her relationship to Musk in return. [Same quote]
But she says she never signed that agreement, nor did she obey Birchall’s warning not to hire her own attorney. [Quote same link, find “hired an attorney”]
Though she says she did agree to keep Musk’s name off the birth certificate. [Quote same link, find “complied”]
Not that it mattered, because the New York Supreme Court eventually compelled him to take a paternity test, which all but confirmed it’s his child.
Now as for why he’s so obsessive about secrecy, there are a few possible reasons.
First, Musk reportedly texted St. Clair that revealing he’s the father would be dangerous because he’s the “#2 after Trump for assassination.” [Quote same link]
With him reportedly adding, “only the paranoid survive.” [Same quote]
Second, Birchall reportedly told her the NDA was necessary because:
“We have been through way too many issues where, to not sign some agreement associated with handing over 15-plus million dollars is absolutely insane and irresponsible, and because we have dealt with some very unstable, mentally unstable, people that all of a sudden misremember things.” [Quote same link]
But then third, reportedly Burchill also seemed to suggest that Musk just didn’t want anything about his private life getting out, true or false.
Saying Musk “cannot allow people to just go and share his life information,” because “he is the biggest lightning rod on the entire planet.” [Quote same link]
But whatever the reason, Birchall reportedly said in December that “Privacy and confidentiality is the top of the list in every aspect of [Musk’s] life, every aspect, and his entire world is set up to be, like, a meritocracy.” [Quote same link]
Explaining that benefits flow when “people do good work.” [Same quote]
So when you combine these two facts — that Musk apparently wants to have as many babies as possible, and that he tries to keep many of those babies a secret — you begin to see why people think he may have more than just 14 kids.
But arguably that’s not even the main headline of this story.
Right, more people are focusing on the way he allegedly bribes, threatens and gags women to get them to do what he wants.
Which adds to a vast mountain of reporting on his, let’s say “questionable,” sexual conduct.
Right, last June, the Journal reported on several female SpaceX employees who have claimed that Musk made advances on them. [Headline]
Starting with one college intern he reportedly slept with, broke up with, then offered a job on the company’s executive team and frequently texted late at night inviting her over to his LA mansion while she was working for him. [Quote same link, find “texted her”]
Then, there was a SpaceX flight attendant who claimed that Musk exposed himself to her and offered to buy her a horse in exchange for sex acts. [Quote same link, find “horse”]
Next, a woman who claimed as she was leaving the company that Musk had asked her to have his babies. [Quote same link, find “exit negotiations”]
As well as a woman who claimed she had a month-long sexual relationship with Musk while she reported directly to him. [Quote same link, find “fourth woman”]
With that reportedly ending badly, as he sent her recriminations over text and email, as well as an NDA. [Same quote]
Now of course, Musk denies the allegations of wrongdoing, but in regards to the most recent Wall Street Journal report, all he’s had to say thus far is TMZ greater than WSJ. [Post]
So we’ll keep our eyes peeled for any more updates on this, whether it’s a substantive response or yet another secret baby.
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Did MrBeast have his own Willy Wonka Glasgow debacle?
Because both he and Resorts World Las Vegas are facing backlash for what was advertised as an immersive “MrBeast Experience,” but only ended up disappointing attendees.
That experience took place at Resorts World on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.
And according to a previous report from The Hollywood Reporter, fans could pay to book a three-night stay at the hotel and receive a “mystery bag” of exclusive MrBeast merch and goodies, with one fan winning a $10,000 gift voucher.[]
Restaurants at the resort were set to offer themed food and drinks, and a since-removed website for the event promised “a series of on-site activations” and an “immersive experience” for guests.[]
But those who attended told local news that they are seeking refunds because it was such a disaster.
Right, according to 8 News Now in Vegas, the experience cost around $1,000.
But one guest told the outlet there were no mini games or photo ops or special foods or anything you would expect at this kind of function.
Another source telling Fox 5 that they went to three restaurants asking about the special menus and activations and no one knew what they were talking about.[]
And during check in, the hotel reportedly told guests to wait in their rooms for their mystery boxes to arrive, so some waited for 24 hours anticipating a big surprise. []
But that box reportedly just ended up including chocolate and assorted merchandise, with one person getting kids shorts, an extra small shirt and medium shirt, and a hat.
With that person claiming the items were far from exclusive and currently in the clearance section of MrBeast’s store.
So some guests gathered in the lobby to voice their concerns, even speaking to the CEO of Resorts World, but many maintain they were not given enough in compensation, with one mom who took her son for his birthday telling 8 News:
“Their ultimate resolution for all the way across the board was $50 food and beverage credit at two different outlets. This experience has been nothing short of horrible. That’s the only experience that we’ve had. (2:02-2:14)
With other guests telling the outlet they are considering suing to get their money back, with one adding:
“If Jimmy is part of this, I hope he feels good for scamming a whole bunch of adults and their children. That’s how you get subscribers? Cool.”
Another person telling Fox 5 in Vegas that:[]
“It makes Las Vegas look bad. It makes Resorts World look bad. It makes MrBeast look bad…They gave us an experience, alright, a real bad one.”
People also posting TikToks calling it a scam.
And one person ended up tweeting to MrBeast about the ordeal, writing:
“yoooooo Mr beast I’m at resorts world doing your experience and it’s been 24 hrs and nothing…. Where’s the experience??Is there gonna be any activity’s or anything? Waiting in room lol.”[]
And MrBeast did reply, saying:
“Hey! This definitely isn't the experience we hoped they'd deliver. My team's already on it—I'd love to personally make it up to you and anyone else by inviting everybody affected to tour my actual studio! Can't wait to meet you all and my team is reaching out to everyone.”[]
So we will have to see what happens next, if refunds come, if MrBeast’s team is able to coordinate tours to make up for it, or something else.
Go to Ground News to see beyond the headlines and stay fully informed without feeling overwhelmed. Subscribe today through my link for 40% off unlimited access.
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(And then…) It feels like there’s almost no point in trying to keep up with these tariffs because every single day it’s something new.
This time, it’s headlines claiming Chinese goods are facing a 245% tariff… not the 145% we reported earlier this week.[][][]
The source of this claim is a fact sheet the White House released yesterday which states that the number is “a result of [China’s] retaliatory actions.” []
But the fact sheet itself clarified that these aren’t new tariffs.
Instead, they’re just saying that in addition to the 145% general tariff on most Chinese goods, there’s another 7.5 to 100% increase on specific items that has been around for awhile.
Like here’s how the fact sheet breaks it down:
“This includes a 125% reciprocal tariff, a 20% tariff to address the fentanyl crisis, and Section 301 tariffs on specific goods, between 7.5% and 100%.”[]
So that’s not exactly new per se, but the fact sheet did point to NEW actions the president has taken in the ongoing trade war.
Notably, he signed some executive orders yesterday that launched “an investigation into the national security risks posed by U.S. reliance on imported processed critical minerals and their derivative products.” []
It’s meant to examine which parts of the US supply chain are vulnerable to foreign market disruptions, give recommendations on how to bolster domestic production, and if any new tariffs need to be levied, they would fall into the "reciprocal tariff” rate.
The thing the administration is particularly worried about is rare earth elements.
As the fact sheet points out:
“Processed critical minerals and their derivative products are key building blocks of our defense industrial base and integral to applications such as jet engines, missile guidance systems, advanced computing, radar systems, advanced optics, and secure communications equipment.”
And aside from the defense industry, pretty much all of modern tech relies on these materials at some point in its supply chain.
That’s because clearly China and the US aren’t getting along right now and it just so happens that nearly all refinement and production of rare earth materials happens in China… as well as other key materials.
So even though the US has a lot of these minerals at home in the ground -- such as one of the biggest known lithium deposits in California -- we don’t have a way to make it usable at home.
And China has used this weak point already in the trade war by banning the export of gallium, germanium, and antimony to the US.
Not to mention banning a swath of other materials and magnets from being exported at all.
Right, many of this stuff is in production lines all across the globe, so even countries that the US may be working on some kind of trade deal with -- such as Japan -- are going to be heavily affected.
This is also a sign that China is switching up how it’s engaging in this trade war.
Because before it was just matching US tariffs with its own, but after things started getting to over 100% it just laughed -- I mean that almost literally.[]
They described Trump’s policies as a “joke” and the State Council Customs Tariff Commission then announced last week that they would actually be reducing tariffs on American goods from 125 to 84% and that:
“Given that there is no longer any possibility of market acceptance for US goods exported to China under the current tariff levels, if the US side subsequently continues to impose tariffs on Chinese goods exported to the US, the Chinese side will pay no attention to it.” []
In layman’s terms: the tariffs are already so high that adding more isn’t going to do anything. At the current level Chinese people already aren’t buying US goods.
If tariffs aren’t the answer to fight back, what is?
Well we saw them banning exports, and other parts of China have followed that lead.
For example, the Hong Kong post announced it was suspending mail services to the US.
Lots of companies use post services like that to send their goods to the US -- especially those that rely on the de minimis exemption.
Right, that’s the rule that if a shipment is less than $800 it can essentially bypass tariffs.
All of these policy changes have also given Chinese President Xi Jinping leverage in positioning China as a new leader in free trade.
Right, over the past few days he’s been visiting Vietnam and Malaysia.
During the visit he signed some agreements with Vietnam that would strengthen their supply chains and open up Chinese markets to Vietnamese agricultural exports.[]
A deal between these two countries is kind of big.
Like as of lately they have been friendly, but that wasn’t the case always and the two even had a short war in 1979 that caused issues between the two for decades.
The agreements also led Xi to say in a statement:
“As beneficiaries of economic globalization, both China and Vietnam should strengthen strategic resolve, jointly oppose unilateral bullying acts, uphold the global free trade system, and keep global industrial and supply chains stable.”
Trump had a different view of the meeting though, claiming it was a way “to figure out how do we screw the United States of America.” [clip @0:08]
If that’s how he feels about a single trade agreement between Vietnam and China, he’s going to be a lot more upset when he hears the plan for the Malaysia portion of the trip.
Xi is expected to work out a deal between China and ASEAN -- which is an association of countries in the region.
As the General Secretary of ASEAN put it:
“We will bring more tariffs down to zero in many cases, and then expand to all the areas.”
So essentially they’re working out a free trade agreement.
The trip was also a chance for Xi to portray China as a “responsible” superpower compared to the US constantly shifting its policies.[]
And to be clear -- that’s not just Trump’s fault. Sure, he’s done like decades worth of policy shifts in just a few months.
But having new administrations -- often with opposite stances on issues -- every four years puts a strain on countries like China which HIGHLY value stability.
(Kind of a cost with democracy, especially one as polarized as ours).
What’s crazy is that everything we’ve talked about is just a handful of the developments going on in this trade war.
For example, there are also ways Chinese producers are trying to offset how damaging the tariffs are.
Right, a 35% tariff largely means that any margin a US-producer would save by buying their goods is quickly eroded.[]
So we’ve seen factories themselves take to social media to try and sell directly to US consumers.
Many of them claim to be where big-named brands make their products -- so they can offer them to consumers directly for less while still making a buck themselves.@0:00-0:11 + @1:14 - end
(Even household items are being sold like this now, such as laundry pods).
All that is still just what’s going on with China, elsewhere around the world other countries are making their own moves to target the US.
Possibly one of the most impactful is the EU’s plan to tariff things other than physical goods.
Right, the reality is that the US doesn’t actually produce a lot of physical items -- outside of high-tech things.
Instead much of the economy revolves around services and software, such as Microsoft Windows or the various cloud services Google offers -- all of which the EU is exploring how to tariff.
That could dramatically affect one of the few areas the US has a massive trade surplus, especially if other countries follow suit.
We’ll have to wait and see how all that goes, since the EU and US are supposed to discuss tariffs pretty soon here, although European officials aren’t hopeful.
In the meantime we’ll try to stay up to date with all of this, but the short version is that things are going to be more expensive pretty soon and experts are increasingly predicting that we’re heading straight towards a recession.
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And for your Wednesday spot of sunshine, we’re talking about a missing toddler and a hero dog.
Right, around 5:00 Monday evening in Arizona, a 2 year old boy named Boden (Bow-den; “bow” like a hair bow) disappeared from his parents’ home in his pajamas.
Which prompted a massive search operation - we’re talking 40 search and rescue team members, several deputies from local sheriffs’ offices, and even some members of the Arizona Department of Public Safety. []
There were teams on foot, teams on off-road vehicles, and even helicopters out all night looking for this little boy. []
And this area is especially dangerous with all the wildlife - mountain lions, coyotes, and even the occasional bear. []
After 15 hours with no luck, Boden turned up on a ranch 7 miles away from his parents’ house - where the rancher, Scottie Dunton, found him thanks to his dog. [B Roll 0:01-0:13]
Turns out that Scottie’s dog, an Anatolian (Ann-a-toll-ee-an; “toll” like a pay toll) Pyrenees (Peer-a-nees) named Buford, who patrols the ranch to keep out coyotes, found the little boy and escorted him for at least a mile straight to Scottie himself. [B Roll 0:23-0:30]
With Scottie saying,
"I got in my truck to go to town and I see Buford walking down the side of the fence with a little blond kid with him. I had heard about the missing child this morning, so I knew it was him." []
Scottie said Boden was pretty upset but in good shape and he’d curled up under a tree in Scottie’s horse pasture to sleep the night before.
And when he brought the little boy inside and gave him some food and water, Scottie asked Boden if Buford had found him, to which he said yes. [] [B Roll 1:38-1:43]
With Scottie saying,
"It's what he does. He loves kids, so I can imagine he wouldn't leave him when he found him. It was a relief that he was alive. I was ecstatic that he was OK and that my dog found him." []
And the fact that this little boy made it through the night and walked as far as he did is astounding.
With Scottie saying,
According to the county sheriff department’s spokesperson, cases like this winding up with a happy ending is a rarity. []
So this story is absolutely worth celebrating - with Scottie promising to give Buford a steak dinner for his heroics.
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