Late last week, The New York Times dropped a bombshell report revealing intimate details about Elon Musk’s increasingly complex private life since joining the campaign trail with now-U.S. President Donald Trump last year. Central to the article was an exclusive interview with Ashley St. Clair, an American conservative influencer and the mother of Musk’s 14th known child. St. Clair disclosed that Elon Musk had confided in her he had fathered children across the globe, including one with a Japanese pop star.

Moreover, Musk allegedly expressed that he would willingly donate his sperm to anyone who wished to have a child, portraying this as a selfless act to encourage population growth amid global declines in birth rates.

Immediately following the news, speculation ignited both in Japan and across international social media. The identity of the Japanese pop star remained undisclosed by mainstream Japanese media, citing legal and privacy concerns, which only fueled the curiosity and wild guesses among netizens.

On his popular Sunday evening radio show, comedian Ariyoshi Hiroiki touched upon the matter with humor, saying, “It is embarrassing to pry into these kinds of things,” earning chuckles from co-hosts.

He noted the small pool of possible Japanese pop stars in Musk’s age bracket—only about three diva-like singers fit the profile—and suggested that Musk might simply be showing off. Ariyoshi even floated the idea that Musk could be a secret idol fan, perhaps flirting from afar rather than engaging in a serious relationship.Unlike the cautious mainstream media, the online community was less restrained. Among the many names floated, one repeatedly surfaced with significant force: Ayumi Hamasaki, Japan’s reigning queen of pop. Known for her powerhouse vocals, emotive performances, and versatility across genres including ballads, electronic, rock, and R&B, Hamasaki’s career has spanned over two decades, making her the best-selling solo artist in J-pop history with over 50 million records sold.

What makes Hamasaki the focus of speculation? Her personal life holds key points of intrigue. At the end of 2019, she surprised fans by announcing the birth of her first child, a son, followed by the birth of her second child in spring 2021.

Yet, she has steadfastly refused to disclose the father’s identity. It’s well-known that both of her former husbands—Manuel Schwarz and Tyson Bodkin—are white men, and she has maintained strong ties to California for many years, overlapping with Musk’s longtime residence in the state.These facts, combined with the secrecy surrounding her children’s paternity, gave rise to rampant theories linking her to Elon Musk. Fans and netizens began passionately “shipping” the pair, envisioning the billionaire entrepreneur and the J-pop icon as a match made in heaven—a true “power couple” blending East-West charisma and influence.

The discussions quickly evolved beyond mere gossip. Many expressed fascination with the idea that Musk, known for his relentless drive to secure humanity’s future, would father a child with one of Japan’s most iconic cultural figures.For these admirers, the coupling symbolizes the merging of two worlds: groundbreaking innovation and enduring artistry.

Yet not all reactions have been celebratory. The story has sparked intense debate over celebrity privacy, reproductive ethics, and the implications of Musk’s reproductive philosophy. Some online voices have criticized Musk’s cavalier attitude toward fatherhood, condemning his apparent “harem mindset” and warning of potential dangers in allowing one man’s genes to proliferate unchecked across the globe.

“It’s simply disgusting,” one commentator on the Nikkan Sports site wrote. “We are already seeing problems with dictatorships and despotism; the power of this one man could exceed that of a nation. Measures need to be taken quickly.”

Others have voiced concern over the ethics of using children as tools for legacy or population control. “Having children should be about love and responsibility, not a billionaire’s whim,” noted one user. Many predict inevitable family disputes over inheritance and identity among Musk’s growing number of offspring, given the complex family dynamics and undisclosed paternity in some cases.

Despite controversy, Elon Musk’s stance on population decline is well-documented. He has repeatedly sounded the alarm on the dangers of falling birth rates, urging the world to have more children. At the 2024 Future Investment Initiative summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Musk emphasized, “If you don’t make new humans, there’s no humanity, and all the policies in the world don’t matter.”His personal choices appear to mirror this belief, as he continues to expand his own progeny.

Musk’s family saga is already a sprawling tapestry: his first son Nevada Alexander was born in 2002 but tragically died as an infant. With ex-wife Justine Wilson, he fathered five more children: twins Vivian and Griffin and triplets Kai, Saxon, and Damian. Later, he had three children with musician Grimes—X Æ A-12, Exa Dark Sideræl, and Techno Mechanicus—and twins Strider and Azure with Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis. His latest child with Ashley St. Clair, named Romulus, continues Musk’s tradition of mythologically inspired names.

While the true identity of the Japanese pop star remains officially unconfirmed, the accumulating circumstantial evidence has only deepened public intrigue. Ayumi Hamasaki’s stature, privacy around her children’s father, and overlapping geographic ties make her the most compelling candidate in the court of public opinion.

The saga epitomizes the growing intersection between fame, power, and privacy in the digital age. It illustrates how a global superstar and a tech billionaire’s lives can collide with reverberations far beyond their immediate circles.

As fans continue to speculate and debate, one thing is certain: this story has captured imaginations and shows no sign of fading from the spotlight anytime soon.Elon Musk has yet to comment publicly on these swirling rumors. Meanwhile, Japanese media remain discreet, perhaps mindful of the delicate balance between public interest and personal privacy.

The fans’ enthusiasm for this potential match—melding groundbreaking innovation and iconic pop culture—is unmistakable. They have embraced the notion of Musk and Hamasaki as the perfect couple, a union that blends the best of East and West, technology and art, ambition and passion.

As the story unfolds, it reflects much more than celebrity gossip. It sheds light on shifting societal norms about family, legacy, and privacy in an era where globalized fame and technological reach make secrets harder than ever to keep.The world watches, fascinated, as Elon Musk’s family continues to grow and as the mystery of his Japanese pop star partner deepens—an evolving narrative about love, power, and the future of humanity itself.