The internet accused Elon Musk of abandoning his little boy in public.

A viral video captured his four-year-old son wobbling down a staircase without the help of an adult, while the tech billionaire walked off almost like he “forgot” about him.

Several netizens slammed the tech billionaire father for using his son as a “prop,” but others defended him and said the

Elon Musk’s parenting skills were widely discussed after a recent video went viral

It is believed the incident took place at the 2025 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C. last week, according to the Daily Beast.

Musk was seen walking off the stage and enjoying the attention from the crowd, while his son X Æ A-Xii was trailing behind.

Social media users were quick to comment on the situation, saying it seemed “very dangerous” that the Tesla founder “forgot he had his son with him.”

Image credits: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

“Why is this man abandoning his toddler on dangerous metal stairs?” asked one critic.

“Musk insists on bringing his 4-year-old son with him everywhere to use as a PR prop/shield. And watch as he walks down these steps and totally abandons the kid, walking off without so much as glancing behind him to make sure his son made it down safely,” another said, calling the SpaceX chief a “Pure. Sociopath.”

“Definitely a candidate for Father of the Year – not,” read another jab.

Netizens claimed the tech founder “forgot” he had his son X Æ A-Xii with him

Another wrote, “The lack of paternal instinct is concerning.”

“The Kid is a prop,” said one. “And just like props… sometimes you forget them!”

However, several netizens came to Musk’s defense and pointed towards a longer version of the clip, which captured the tech mogul turning towards his son after he made his way down the stairs.

Supporters of Musk defended him and said the viral clip didn’t show the entire scene

“This is a pathetic attempt at shaming a parent,” one Musk defender said, while another wrote, “He saw he was safe, so no need for him.”

Saying the “truth always comes out in the end,” a person wrote, “No one loves kids more than Elon Musk, and no one should ever rush to judge a father based on a single misleading clip.”

The same commenter continued defending him, saying: “Even if he did walk ahead for a moment, who hasn’t? Parents have a million thoughts running through their heads at any moment – especially someone with the responsibilities Elon carries.”

Son X Æ A-12 is one of at least a dozen children fathered by Musk with three to four different women.

The tech entrepreneur’s father, Errol Musk, recently slammed the tech CEO for his bad parenting skills.

“He hasn’t been a good dad,” Errol said on the Wide Awake podcast earlier this month.

“They were too rich, too many nannies,” he continued. “Then he had five children with the same woman, five sons all brought up. Each one had its own nanny.”