Errol has maintained a dignified silence. Until now. For when he invited The Mail on Sunday into his elegant home overlooking a wide sweep of the rocky coast in South Africa's Western Cape, he had some choice words about their incendiary feud -- and made a shocking revelation of his own: he was once charged with manslaughter for shooting dead three men who broke into his home.
He was subsequently acquitted, after pleading self-defence. But it is an episode he speculates may be the reason for Elon's cruel words.
'Elon needs to grow up,' he says now. 'He needs to get over himself. I'm not going to hit back. I'm going to wait until he comes to his senses. He's having a tantrum, like a spoilt child. He can't have what he wants and now I am apparently an evil monster.'
A craggily good-looking man with a 1,000-watt smile and an easy humour, Errol still flies his own plane up the spectacular West Coast and has a fishing boat parked in the garage next to his silver Bentley Continental.
A collection of family portraits is spread out on the handsome mahogany dining table: Elon with his brother Kimbal and sister Tosca, and their stepsisters Alexandra and Rose.
“Family Feud.”
Elon is getting old for this sort of thing. But sometimes emotional issues drive men to do great things, and Elon has been a visionary (even if I think Tesla is a con, financially speaking).