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• I grew up in Australia and always dreamed of living in New York City, so I moved my family there.
• Living here comes with costs, like missing family in Australia and being unable to visit them often.
• We’ve spent a ton on rent, and I’ve moved around the city a lot, but there’s no place I’d rather be.

It was my lifelong dream to live in New York City. Wild, given that I was born in a small rural town in Australia, where I grew up riding dirt bikes, not reading fashion magazines.

The Land Down Under was a big, beautiful place offering an idyllic, laid-back beach life, but I always felt a pull toward The Big Apple.

That lust further ignited in the ’90s as I watched the city depicted in shows like “Friends” and “Sex and the City.” So in 2014, on the cusp of turning 40, I dragged my husband, our Bengal cat, and our two sons — then 2 and 9 — to New York.

We told ourselves we’d come for a year, for an adventure. Twelve years later, I’m still here. It’s certainly been one hell of a (ridiculously expensive) ride.

The rent we’ve paid feels astronomical, and we’ve moved so many times

In New York City, rental costs are no joke.

We traded our beautiful 1890s cottage — three-bedroom, two-bath, front porch, huge yard, tree-lined street, 10 minutes from Bondi Beach — for a two-bedroom loft apartment in Tribeca that cost us $8,000 a month. (This is not unusual for a two-bed in this neighborhood.)

By comparison, the monthly mortgage on our cottage in Sydney was, after conversion, less than half of that price.

Still, we knew we were choosing to live in a more expensive neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, and we did so because it felt like a great place to raise our kids. We loved the community, the quiet cobblestone streets, and the access to Hudson River Park.

Our loft was essentially a large box, with windows only at the front. It was also a fifth-floor walk-up, and between the angry downstairs neighbors who complained constantly about the sound of kids moving around and the fact that I had to carry a toddler and a stroller up five brutal flights of stairs, we left in under a year.

We moved around the corner to another loft, this one even more expensive, and lasted a little over a year until the building was condemned and we had to move — again.

At one point, my husband and I had considered buying a property in NYC with our nest egg, but we didn’t have a clue how to navigate the competitive real-estate market, and it seemed clear we’d only get a teeny apartment for our budget.

The math didn’t add up, and the risk of owning freaked us out. So we kept rolling the dice on renting.

Between my husband and me separating, the kids outgrowing smaller apartments, and landlords unexpectedly hiking up the rent, I’ve moved about 10 times since coming to the US.

My kids got a solid free education, but college costs felt tough to swallow

A financial reprieve in NYC is that public education is free, though school admissions can be complicated, with factors like zoning and lottery systems shaping where kids end up.

Thankfully, both of my boys got into a highly regarded public school in Manhattan, and I was impressed with their education.

I was also glad we (mostly) dodged expensive private schools — except when my youngest attended a language-immersion school for about $30,000 a year. He came out knowing basic Mandarin, which would have been worth the investment — only he’s since forgotten all of it.

Then comes the killer: college. After graduating from high school, my oldest was accepted into a prestigious university in the Midwest to study engineering.

Sure, he could’ve attended a more affordable or in-state school, but a lot of “New York rats” (that’s what my boys proudly call themselves) want to leave the city they grew up in — and their parents — to go to college somewhere else. Getting into a respected college also felt like a major flex, and we all felt the pressure for him to attend, no matter the cost.

So, his dad and I haggled over merit and financial aid and took out student loans to cover his first year. Add kitting out his dorm room, him blowing up our Seamless account (despite having a paid meal plan), and the costs of us flying out to visit and flying him home … year one probably cost around $70,000.

He didn’t end up staying after his first year, which meant our student loans were due far sooner than we planned. The silver lining of not completing his degree is that, unlike many college graduates in the US, he’s not saddled with four years’ worth of debt.

Going home feels like an expensive, uphill battle — and it’s tough being far from family

Our rent, as established, doesn’t leave much in the budget for vacations — or for airfare back to Australia to see family and friends.

As Aussies, our ideal time to go home is around Christmas, when it’s summer there, and many people are off work and school. However, that privilege can set us back upward of $4,000 in round-trip airfare alone for the four of us. On top of that, each way, we’d have to take two flights, totaling over 22 hours in the air.

In my opinion, we need three weeks for a proper trip Down Under, especially as I have to visit my loved ones in two cities.

Considering our sons’ public schools only granted about a week off around that time of year, it rarely seemed worth the money or jet lag. This also explains why we typically only make it home every other year.

Some costs are even harder to reconcile with when living on a separate continent and in a different time zone from so many loved ones. From afar, I’m watching my mum age from 10,000 miles away (she just turned 80), and how my sister must carry the load of caring for our father as he faces health issues.

There are so many milestone birthdays, weddings, funerals, and family events I’ve missed and can never get back.

Still, I’d choose moving to New York City every time

To be clear, a lot of these costs were tied to choices we made as we sought to give our family a certain kind of life in NYC.

Despite the emotional and financial pain, do I regret moving? Not for a New York minute. This city has an incredible, lively vibe. We’ve forged deep friendships, created new traditions, and lapped up the electrifying culture on tap.

I also feel connected to the world in a way I never did in Australia; I can be in the Caribbean in about four hours, Europe in seven — and I’ve met people from all walks of life.

There’s an energy and diversity here you won’t find anywhere else in the world, along with a feeling that you can do anything.

Regardless of any financial regrets and mistakes from the past 12 years, New York City is home.

• I grew up thinking my small hometown was boring and couldn’t wait to leave.
• Housing costs eventually brought my partner and me back when we wanted to buy.
• Now I appreciate the family support and community I couldn’t see as a teenager.

I didn’t think parking spaces would have a particularly big impact on my life, but ultimately, it was the thought of not having to parallel park on the street every day that made me realize I was going to move back to the town I grew up in.

My partner and I were trying to buy our first home together and hoped to stay in Oxford, the city where we had lived for the past five years.

I was speaking to a real estate agent about what we were looking for, and he raised his eyebrows slightly when I told him our budget. He told me that if I wanted an off-street parking space within our budget, we needed to consider smaller towns outside the city.

There was one town which we knew very well, as I’d grown up living there, 25 minutes away. My parents lived there, and we went back often, so my hometown was the obvious choice for our move.

At first, I resisted the idea of moving back home

Initially, I was resistant because I felt moving back was a cop-out. I’d remembered growing up feeling bored and like I couldn’t wait to move somewhere else, but when the agent showed us what we could get for our budget — a house, with parking and a garden, rather than a tiny flat with no outside space – the maths and the logistics started making sense.

We were planning to start a family in the not-too-distant future, and I wanted to put down roots so the prospect of being close to my parents and a place I knew was appealing to me. We decided to go for it, and 12 years later, I’m now raising my own kids in the same town where I grew up.

People know me from when I was little

I’ve learned that raising kids in your hometown is a unique experience. Lots of people know you from when you were young, and it can sometimes feel like you have gone back in time.

It’s weird dropping my kids off for clubs at my old school, and even weirder when I see people who I went to school with dropping off their own kids on the school run. I still feel like we’re the kids, not the parents. And sometimes I cringe knowing that people know my past mistakes or what I was like as an awkward teenager.

When my kids were small, I thought I might have made a mistake. I worried it was very unadventurous, and I didn’t have as much access to culture, jobs, and city life. My town is quite small and quiet, and I miss living in a city, the architecture, services, and atmosphere.

For a while, I considered moving to the coast or back to the city. But as we’ve all gotten older — my kids are now 7 and 9 — I have realized how lucky I am.

Being close to my parents has made a huge difference

As my kids have grown up, being close to my parents and seeing them regularly has made a big difference in my life. My son is autistic, and it’s hard to find childcare — but parents are able to help us out a lot. Proximity means we can all help each other with caregiving, and it has made my life much easier.

I’m now grateful that both my kids and I get to spend time with my parents so easily, and glad of the family support network I have around me.

Living where you grew up has other benefits, too. I’m still close with some of my old friends who have stayed local, too, and I love seeing them. I also have lots of hometown knowledge and know where the best places to eat, play, and visit are.

I have learned to love where I live and have put down my own roots here as an adult rather than a child. I have made new friends and feel a part of the community in the part of town where I now live.

There are downsides, like a lack of culture, but it’s not hard to hop on the bus or train, and I am happy to travel for events and trips in exchange for the benefits.

I’ve realized there’s no perfect living arrangement, but it’s a constant weighing up of the pros and cons of where you are physically with where you are in life. For me right now, the downsides are well worth the benefits of hometown living – and the fact that I rarely have to parallel park turned out to be just a cherry on the top.

• The Rossi family has been living in an RV full time for six years.
• Their lifestyle allows them to travel and spend more time together as a family.
• They hope to keep living the RV lifestyle until they pay off debt and feel more financially secure.

The view from Haylea Rossi’s bedroom is constantly changing. Sometimes, she can see snowy mountains. A week later, she could see waves crashing on the shore.

No, Rossi doesn’t have a green screen that rotates outside her home. She and her family live in an RV full time, traveling the country year-round.

The mom of two told Business Insider that she loves RV life for lots of reasons, but especially because of the financial freedom it gives her family.

The Rossi family was at a crossroads in 2020.

In 2020, Rossi, 31, didn’t get to see her husband, Ryan Rossi, 34, much. Rossi was at home with their two children, Liam and Olivia, who are now 12 and 10, while her husband finished up his military service.

“He deployed almost every single year,” Rossi, who is a content creator and social media creator for brands, told Business Insider of her husband’s time in the military. “He was constantly away.”

When her husband’s service was finally done, the Rossis wanted to make up for lost time. When her husband got a remote job as an independent insurance adjuster, which required him to travel to Colorado for six months of training, Rossi was excited that her family could be together.

However, they struggled to find a housing option they could afford as they relocated, particularly because they were trying to pay off debt at the same time.

They decided to try RV life.

The Rossis took the expensive housing in Colorado as a sign to do something different: buy an RV.

Rossi said an RV was more affordable for her family than buying or renting a house, and the six-month span seemed like a good way to test out the lifestyle, which was completely new to them.

“We went into it knowing if it wasn’t a good fit, we weren’t going to stay in it,” she said, adding that she had some trepidation about RV life.

“Once I did some research before we actually did it, I was like, ‘There’s a whole group of people who do this, and they actually travel, and they experience life,'” she said.

With all that in mind, they decided to give it a go, buying an RV and heading to Colorado.

“We lived there up in the mountains for six months, and then said, ‘This is kind of the best thing ever. Let’s travel,'” Rossi said.

They’ve been on the road ever since.

The Rossis have had two RVs in their six years of traveling.

Their first RV was a 2020 Forest River Sabre. They renovated the interior for a more custom, tiny-home feel, as many RVers do.

That RV got totaled, which led the Rossis to buy a newer Forest River Sabre 36DBB in January 2026. It’s slightly larger and has separate bedrooms for their kids, unlike their first RV. The Rossis haven’t customized their current RV, as the newer design is a good fit for their family.

The new vehicle cost $70,000.

When you enter the RV, you’re greeted by the main living space.

The vehicle’s main room houses a kitchen and a living area. The kitchen has a stove, oven, microwave, and refrigerator, but it doesn’t have a dishwasher. There’s also ample built-in storage, including a hidden pantry that sits behind their TV and fireplace.

A large island sits in the center of the room, which Rossi said is a big upgrade for their family.

“It’s really spacious compared to a normal little dinette table,” she said.

The Rossi kids do most of their schoolwork at the kitchen island.

Rossi homeschools her children on the road, doing many of their lessons from the island and taking them to see the places they’re learning about in their travels. They also took one seat out of their couch, so Rossi’s husband has a dedicated desk in the living space and does not have to use the same surface as the kids.

Liam Rossi’s bedroom is visible from the living area, as it sits in the loft above the space.

They also have a projector screen that pulls out from above the TV, so the family can have movie nights.

The right side of the RV serves as the primary suite.

If you walk to the right when you enter the RV, the primary bathroom and bedroom sit a level above the living area, almost like a private suite.

One wall of the bedroom is made entirely of closets, giving the Rossis built-in storage. Their washer and dryer also sit in one of the closets.

The Rossis’ daughter has the second private bedroom.

Although Olivia Rossi’s bed takes up much of the space, the bedroom is actually packed with storage for the whole family.

There’s a closet for her clothes, a shelf for her and her brother’s shoes, and space under her bed for storage.

The mattress also lifts completely to reveal a hidden storage compartment where the family keeps items such as winter clothes, extra toys, and holiday decor.

“You have to live pretty minimally if you live in an RV. You have to be strategic,” Rossi said. “It’s definitely a challenge at times to cut everything, but we make it work.”

There’s also a second bathroom attached to the bedroom, which Olivia and her brother use.

The Rossis do most of their travel in the fall and spring.

Ryan Rossi’s work can sometimes dictate where the family travels, as he gets sent to different locations after storms. Most of the time, though, they can travel where they want when he’s working remotely.

Rossi said her family usually stays in a new place for about two weeks, giving them time to explore. They do most of their traveling in the fall and spring, spending summers in Kansas City with family and winters in Florida.

Many RV families spend time in Florida during the colder months, so they have a community of friends to spend time with in the winter.

Rossi loves the freedom of life on the road.

Rossi said that the quality time she gets with her family because of RV life is the biggest benefit of her lifestyle.

“We had such a big section of our life where we did life away from each other,” Rossi said, adding that being able to actually experience everything with their kids is a gift for her and her husband.

She also thinks the experience has changed her family’s perspective on material goods for the better.

“When we had a house, my kids had so many toys, and they played with maybe a quarter of those toys,” she said. “They would much rather be outside riding their bikes or doing something out there.”

Living in the RV isn’t always easy, though.

Rossi loves that the RV makes it easy to spend time outdoors, but it can be challenging on days when that isn’t an option.

“On days where the weather’s bad or it’s raining, you can feel like you’re closed in a little bit,” she said. “Our kids will sometimes argue, just like normal kids, and then it sometimes feels like you can’t escape that. I can go to my room, but I can still hear them if they’re playing a game and they’re arguing. That part really is the hardest for me.”

Rossi also said she sometimes struggles with the space feeling cramped.

“It can get very cluttered very quickly,” she said. “The upside is it doesn’t take long to clean up. It’s a small space. But that sometimes drives me a little crazy.”

The Rossis will continue living on the road for the foreseeable future, in part because it’s the most affordable option for their family.

Rossi said she doesn’t think her family will always live in an RV, but it doesn’t make financial sense for them to buy a house right now.

“We definitely could buy a house, but then we would feel so much more limited on what we could do financially,” she said.

Right now, their monthly household expenses are often under $1,000, Rossi said. The RV payments are around $600 a month, and they’re often paying $200 in RV park fees with their Thousand Trails membership, which provides access to a network of campgrounds and resorts.

Between the cost of homes and high interest rates, Rossi said her family wouldn’t be able to travel or pay off their debt if they had to pay a pricey mortgage each month.

“We’re at the place where we want to pay off our debt,” she added. “We want to actually have some experiences while our kids are at home and not feel like we’re stuck in the house, just trying to get by.”

Still, Rossi said they won’t continue living on the road if her kids aren’t happy.

Rossi said it’s important to her and her husband that their kids are happy with RV life, especially as they get older.

“I know a lot of people have different opinions on this, but I feel like your kids should want to do the lifestyle as well,” she said. “We do have frequent check-ins with my kids. We’re like, ‘Do you feel ready to stop and stay?’ But they’re both like, ‘No, this is the best thing ever. We want to travel.'”

They’ll continue checking in with their kids, but Rossi said it’s been empowering to know their nontraditional lifestyle makes her children happy.

“Sometimes, it’s easy as a parent to feel like you have to make your life look like everyone else’s to give your kid the childhood that you think that they should have,” she said. “And for us, we have found that our kids are so much happier just having time with us and experiences with us versus things.”

At some point, they will likely stop living on the road. For now, though, they’re glad to keep the adventure going.

“As long as our kids are happy and we’re working toward our goals, we’d rather reach our financial goals first before we think about [moving into a house],” Rossi said.

• McDonald’s just relaunched its fan-favorite Snack Wrap in the UK.
• Fans were left disappointed by the “downgraded” menu item.
• We tried the US and UK versions of McDonald’s Snack Wraps to see how they compare.

The Snack Wrap has officially landed overseas.

McDonald’s brought the fan-favorite item back to UK menus on October 6, marking its first appearance there since it was discontinued in 2016. Much like in the US, British fans spent years calling for its return — and McDonald’s finally answered.

However, shortly after the launch, The Sun reported that a few British McDonald’s customers were disappointed by the “downgraded” menu item, lamenting the removal of cheese from the wraps and calling it “a bit plain” on social media.

We decided to put each version to the test.

Our London-based reporter, Roya Shahidi, thought the UK’s version of the Snack Wrap, while light and crispy, was disappointing overall and needed cheese.

On the other hand, our US-based reporter Erin McDowell was impressed by the flavorful sauces and crispy chicken tenders included in each of her wraps.

Here’s how McDonald’s Snack Wraps in the US and the UK compare in terms of taste and value.

UK-based reporter Roya went to a McDonald’s in Islington, London.

There were no ads inside the McDonald’s about the Snack Wrap’s return.

McDonald’s in the UK has only one version of the Snack Wrap.

Unlike in the US, where you can choose between a spicy or ranch version of the wrap, the UK only has one option.

The UK version contains 282 calories and costs £1.99, equivalent to about $2.62.

When ordering in the app, you can upgrade the Snack Wrap to a medium meal deal for £5.59 ($7.38), which includes a drink and fries.

The UK Snack Wrap was neatly packaged.

Roya took the Snack Wrap to the office to eat.

The UK Snack Wrap comes with a chicken tender, black pepper mayo, and shredded lettuce.

Roya found it disappointing that there was no shredded cheese inside, unlike in the US, especially since the previous UK iteration did contain cheese.

At this McDonald’s, adding a cheese slice would cost 50 pence — equivalent to about 66 cents.

There was a generous amount of mayo and shredded lettuce in the wrap. However, while she is a fan of the UK McDonald’s Chicken Selects, Roya felt the portion was too small for the price.

The chicken breast was tender and crispy, but the wrap overall was quite bland.

Roya thought the mayo serving was generous, though as someone who prefers other sauces, she would have liked the option for something else.

The black pepper mayo had a mild kick, and the lettuce added a nice crunch, but overall, it was missing something extra, like cheese.

The UK-based reporter thought the ingredient distribution wasn’t great, with one side containing no lettuce.

As its name suggests, the Snack Wrap makes a good snack because it’s light; however, it’s not filling enough as a meal in its own right.

Business Insider reached out to McDonald’s for comment, but did not immediately hear back.

Snack Wraps have been back on menus in the US since July 2025.

McDonald’s brought back its Snack Wraps nationwide last summer, marking one of the year’s most anticipated fast-food launches. The $2.99 wraps come in ranch and spicy-pepper varieties, with chicken tenders, lettuce, and shredded cheese.

The wraps began disappearing from menus in 2016 and were officially discontinued in 2020. A petition calling for their return later drew more than 18,000 signatures.

The US Snack Wraps contain 390 calories for the ranch version and 380 for the spicy version, and cost $2.99 each.

When ordering in the app, you can upgrade the Snack Wrap to a medium meal deal for $11.09, which includes a drink and fries.

In the US, they come in two varieties — spicy and ranch.

This is arguably the biggest difference compared to the new UK version, along with the addition of shredded cheese.

Our US-based reporter Erin tried both wraps and was impressed by the amount of sauce in each.

Both wraps are made with McDonald’s new chicken tenders, which launched in the US in May 2025.

The spicy Snack Wrap packed more heat than Erin expected.

The lettuce tasted fresh, and Erin was impressed by how substantial the wraps were. Though billed as snack-sized, one was filling enough for a quick lunch.

The spicy sauce had a noticeable kick without being overwhelming — enough heat to earn its name.

She also enjoyed the ranch version of the Snack Wrap.

The ranch version tasted lighter but still packed plenty of flavor. Its creamy sauce balanced the fresh lettuce and crispy chicken tender, while the shredded cheese added a mild savory note and a little extra texture to each bite.

The tortilla wrap itself also seemed lighter and less doughy in the US.

We can see why McDonald’s fans across the pond are disappointed by this new release.

While both reporters were excited to try the Snack Wraps, we felt a little let down by the UK version.

The key differences between the US and UK versions of the snack wrap are the absence of cheese in the UK version and fewer flavor options, which ended up greatly affecting our final takeaways.

While Erin would — and has — order these snack wraps again after their first launch, Roya wasn’t so sure, given the bland flavor profile, less-than-satisfactory presentation, and mediocre distribution of ingredients.

When it comes to Snack Wraps, McDonald’s fans might have to head to the US to get the tastiest version possible.

• I’m from Massachusetts, and I love visiting Salem, but it can be too busy in the fall.
• Instead, I think Beverly, Massachusetts, is an amazing, less-crowded alternative.
• Not only is the Halloween decor incredible, but the place also has great food and historic charm.

Anyone from Massachusetts knows that during Halloween, Salem is packed tighter than a Candy Crush board.

I’ve visited Salem many times, but I like to avoid the area from September through the beginning of November because of the surge in tourism. Each year, the city welcomes roughly 1,000,000 visitors every October, with 96,000 people going on Halloween alone.

During the fall, crowds flood the streets on ghost tours, take selfies in front of the statue of Elizabeth Montgomery from “Bewitched,” line up at the Salem Witch Museum, and try to snag a ticket to the Haunted Witch Village at the Salem Wax Museum.

It’s always exciting to welcome new guests who are eager to learn about the city’s twisted history. But during October, Salem’s narrow streets and scarce parking make its charm hard to enjoy.

However, a recent three-day staycation in Beverly, Massachusetts —just three miles away from Salem’s city center — gave my family and me the best of both worlds: easy access to Witch City, plus a quieter place to eat, explore, and sleep.

Until this year, I’d thought of it as mostly Salem’s sleepier sister, but my time there made me realize I’d been overlooking it as a must-visit destination in its own right.

Beverly has Halloween spirit without Salem’s October crowds

Downtown Beverly has the independent restaurants, family-owned boutiques, and historic architecture that I love about Salem, minus the holiday crowds.

I loved checking out the trails at Long Hill estate, which houses 114 acres of land and gardens. For most of October, the grounds’ pathways feature thousands of hand-carved glowing jack-o’-lanterns, twinkling lights, decorations, and treats like cider as part of the Halloween on the Hill event.

I’ve attended the event twice and can’t recommend it enough.

Our hotel was beautiful — and cheaper than many places in Salem

My family and I stayed at the recently renovated Wylie Inn in Beverly, which sits on Endicott College’s leafy seaside campus and has direct beach access.

Not only is the hotel stunning, but most rates for a late-October night are cheaper compared to places I’ve stayed in Salem.

Plus, parking at the Wylie Inn is free, so you don’t have to worry about competing for a spot at a public garage.

The food and sweet treats were incredible

During our time in Beverly, we dined at Flip the Bird, a fast-casual restaurant that had the most delicious, crispy chicken sandwiches and frothy frappes.

The desserts in Beverly also blew me away. On our last day, we hit up Prides Crossing Confections. This family-owned candy shop — housed inside a former train station — featured Halloween treats and tasty chocolate lollipops.

Like Salem, Beverly is rich in historic charm and cultural activities

Sure, Salem is full of incredible tales and features many cultural attractions, but the same is true for Beverly.

While visiting, we checked out Cabot House, an 18th-century Georgian-style mansion. Stepping inside this home, which was the first brick mansion built in the city, I instantly felt like I had traveled back in time to Beverly’s founding.

Along with Cabot House, there are plenty of other activities to plan a getaway around — instead of just limiting yourself to Halloween-themed activities in Salem.

For example, the Montserrat College of Art offers five free galleries in Beverly, and the nonprofit Cabot Performing Arts Center hosts comedy and music acts.

Hiking through Witches’ Woods was incredible

One of my favorite moments during the staycation was hiking at the Beverly Commons Conservation Area.

This 409-acre preserve was once a major thoroughfare during colonial times, and during the witchcraft hysteria of 1692, the forest became known as Witches’ Woods after families sought refuge there.

Now, centuries later, as I walked beneath peaceful canopies of trees, I couldn’t believe that Salem’s busy streets were only a few miles away.

If you want to brave the Salem crowds, it’s a short drive or train ride away

Beverly is incredible, but if you’re still itching to check out the scene in Salem, luckily, it’s conveniently located nearby.

Beverly has multiple rail stations, with direct trains to Salem that take about five minutes. Plus, during October, the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority offers extra train cars, more departure times, and discounted fares.

But if you have a car, Salem is only about a 15-minute drive from Beverly, though holiday traffic can make the trip much longer. I’m a fan of Salem’s free parking lot at Fort Avenue, which is about a 20-minute walk to the center of the action.

• Ashley St. Clair is a former conservative influencer.
• She met Musk on X in 2023 and had his child a year later.
• In Alex Gibney’s documentary “Musk,” she says Musk offered her $40 million to sign an NDA. Musk denies this.

“Musk,” Alex Gibney’s epic-length documentary on Elon Musk, is in theaters today. Some of the most eye-opening moments in the doc’s nearly four-hour runtime are the revelations from Ashley St. Clair, the mother of one of Musk’s children.

In the documentary, St. Clair opens up about the private life of the richest man in the world, including his desire to have many children (he has 14 that we know of).

So who is Ashley St. Clair, and how did she get involved with Musk? Here’s what we know about her.

She’s a former conservative influencer and an author

St. Clair became popular in right-wing spheres after building a following on X, where she would tweet MAGA talking points. At the time, she was also a writer for the right-wing satirical news site The Babylon Bee, and made appearances on Fox News. She now has over one million followers on X.

She also wrote the book, “Elephants Are Not Birds,” described as a “Christian, Conservative children’s book that tackles the topic of identity,” according to its publisher, Brave Books.

In January 2026, St. Clair began to reconsider her political views and stated on X that she was removing her name as author of “Elephants Are Not Birds.”

She had a child with Musk in 2024

St. Clair said she first interacted with Musk in 2023 on X — which Musk acquired a year earlier — when he followed her and then slid into her DMs.

St. Clair described her relationship with Musk to the New York Times as more “emotionally intimate” than romantic. “We were in contact every day. But also I was never like, ‘I’m the chosen one,'” she said.

She described vacationing in St. Bart’s with Musk when he encouraged her to have more kids (St. Clair has a child from a previous relationship). “He said, ‘You should have 10 kids! Let’s have a kid. My only limited resource is time,'” she recalled to the Times.

St. Clair spoke out about the birth of their child for the first time in a New York Post story in February 2025, revealing she gave birth in 2024.

Musk spoke out about the child for the first time a month later in a post on X, stating that though he didn’t know if the child was his, “I have given Ashley $2.5M and am sending her $500k/year,” he wrote.

St. Clair says she turned down a $40 million NDA

St. Clair said in “Musk” that after giving birth to Musk’s child, their relationship went south. That’s when she says she was offered $15 million up front and $100,000 per month over 21 years if she signed an NDA. She refused.

A day after the movie’s world premiere in September, Musk disputed the terms of St. Clair’s NDA, commenting on X that St. Clair “was never offered that and has a history of making false claims.” Musk did not respond to a request for comment.

In the documentary, St. Clair also shares revelatory details about Musk’s life behind closed doors. She said one night she was with Musk in bed while he listened to a podcast about Kublai Khan, a descendant of Genghis Khan who had at least 47 children.

She also said that Musk once texted her that he needed a “legion of children before the civil war.”

Musk, for his part, isn’t happy about the documentary as a whole, and took to X to comment.

“Gibney just assembled a hit list of people who either have an axe to grind or don’t even know me (but still have an axe to grind). He has ZERO integrity. Horrible human,” Musk wrote.

“Musk” opens in select theaters on Friday.