Elusive Musk: Grimes Tracks Billionaire to Serve Custody Papers

The 35-year-old Canadian singer, Grimes, reportedly faced significant challenges while trying to reach her ex-boyfriend, tech titan Elon Musk, to serve him with custody papers. Grimes, whose real name is Claire Boucher, had to employ various process servers and trace Musk across at least a dozen diverse places.

Elusive Musk. YLYTH AI-generated image

Musk's Multi-location Pursuit

Grimes engaged the services of four process servers who attempted to deliver the legal papers to several of Musk's establishments. These included Musk's X's headquarters in San Francisco, SpaceX's launch site in Boca Chica, Texas, Tesla's factory in Austin, and several other sites within that city.

Interestingly, one process server even made a trip to Musk's horse ranch in Texas, only to be greeted by a woman who told them, "Nope, not here."

Between October 13 and October 20, these servers made extensive efforts to locate Musk, which included tracing his private aircraft, according to court documents obtained.

Legal Implications

Under California law, any individual involved in a lawsuit must be "served" with the legal papers. As per the Superior Court of California's website, if the papers are not served correctly and on time, the court cannot proceed with the case.

Following several unsuccessful attempts, Grimes' process servers had to resort to leaving the legal documents with Musk's security at X, Tesla, and SpaceX.

The Battle for Parental Rights

Grimes and Musk are parents to three children - X Æ A-Xii, 3, Exa Dark Sideræl, and Techno Mechanicus, both 1. The singer filed a lawsuit in California seeking parental rights over them. However, she did not request child support in her initial filing on September 29.

In a surprising turn of events, it came to light that Musk had already filed a lawsuit against Grimes in Texas. He accused his ex-partner of "attempting to circumvent the jurisdiction" in his home state by declaring herself a non-resident.

Musk claimed in the court documents that he had "actual care, control, and possession of each child since the birth of each child," indicating that the care took place in Texas, where he resides full-time, for at least "six consecutive months."

In response, Grimes criticized Musk's lawsuit as "inappropriate" and requested it be dismissed.

Grimes Tracks Musk to Serve Custody Papers. YLYTH AI-generated image

Musk's Frequent Travels

Grimes alleged that the father of her children spends at least two to three days on the West Coast. The final decision on which state has jurisdiction over their custody matters has not been made yet.

Grimes and Musk dated from 2018 until their split in March 2022. During their time together, Grimes reportedly had to track Musk's private jets and go to his places of business to serve him custody papers.

Tracking Musk's Private Jets

One of the process servers even tracked Musk's private jets from October 13 to 17 to find the perfect moment to serve him. The server reported that the billionaire uses his aircraft to such an extent that his travel on his owned aircraft has been likened to a rideshare, such as Uber.

Musk's private jets could be tracked through websites like FlightAware, which receive their data via the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). However, Musk has reportedly used the FAA feature, the "Limited Aircraft Data Displayed" (LADD) program, to hide his flight data from the public.

Privacy Measures and Surveillance

Prominent figures like Jeff Bezos and Taylor Swift also use the LADD list to conceal their travel patterns. Musk has also used PIA - the privacy ICAO aircraft address program, another FAA feature that hides private jet travel. However, he reportedly stopped using the program in December.

People trying to track the movements of jets can circumvent programs like the LADD list through sites like the ADS-B Exchange, a public flight-tracking database that collects data from a network of volunteer-run radios. They can also use feeders, which transmit data from ADS-B-equipped aircraft.

The process server admitted to setting up "surveillance positions" near hangars and along the runway at an airport in Hawthorne, California. Eventually, Grimes's team was satisfied with serving the billionaire through his security at X headquarters.

An Unresolved Case

The custody battle between Grimes and Musk remains unresolved. Grimes, who is seeking physical custody of their three children, has yet to receive a response from Musk or his legal team. Whether the case will be heard in California, where Grimes resides, or Texas, where Musk claims to have provided primary care for the children, has not been determined.

Musk, who also has five other children from previous relationships, has not publicly commented on the lawsuit or the pursuit of him by Grimes' process servers.

Grimes' pursuit of Musk to serve him custody papers underscores the complexities and challenges of legal proceedings, particularly when they involve high-profile individuals with significant resources and complex living arrangements. As the case unfolds, it will continue to attract the attention of the public and legal community alike.