The Tesla founder has 14 children from four women

Elon Musk; Ashley St. Clair. Photo:SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty; Ashley St. Clair/ X

Elon Musk is denying that he “financially retaliated” against Ashley St. Clair and their child.

On Monday, March 31, the Tesla founder, 53, responded to a tweet from Laura Loomer, who was reacting to a video of the 26-year-old influencer selling her Tesla to supplement money for child care. In his response, Musk denied St. Clair’s claims that he “financially retaliated” against the son that they share, saying “despite not knowing for sure” if the child is his, he’s given her child support.

“I don’t know if the child is mine or not, but am not against finding out. No court order is needed,” he wrote on X. “Despite not knowing for sure, I have given Ashley $2.5M and am sending her $500k/year.”

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Shortly after Musk’s comment, St. Clair replied to him on X, claiming that Musk “refused” to confirm paternity of the child and recently “withdrew” most of his support in order “to maintain control.”

“Elon, we asked you to confirm paternity through a test before our child (who you named) was even born. You refused,” St. Clair began. “And you weren’t sending *me* money, you were sending support for your child that you thought was necessary… until you withdrew most of it to maintain control and punish me for ‘disobedience.’ But you’re really only punishing your son.

“It’s ironic that your last effort in court was to try to gag me while you use a social media channel you literally own to distribute derogatory messages about me and our child to the entire world. It’s all about control with you, and everyone can see it,” she continued. “America needs you to grow up, you petulant man-child.

A representative for Musk did not immediately respond to PEOPLE for comment.

Musk’s comments come after St. Clair spoke directly to the Daily Mail on camera as she handed over the car keys to her Tesla Model S on Saturday, March 29. She told the outlet she was selling the car to compensate for the alleged “60 percent cut that Elon made to our son’s child support.”

The reporter asked St. Clair if she felt Musk’s actions were “vindictive” in any way. She responded, “That’s his modus operandi, when women speak out,” adding that she and the SpaceX CEO last spoke on Feb. 13.

“You can check the stocks, I’m not the only one who is cleaning up after his messes,” added St. Clair, who announced on X on Feb. 14 that she and Musk share a son. He is also the father of 13 other children, whom he shares with three other women.

Elon Musk. amie Kelter Davis/Bloomberg via Getty

Earlier this month, PEOPLE exclusively shared a statement from St. Clair’s legal team regarding Musk’s response to her filing a petition for sole custody with the New York Supreme Court in February.

“Elon Musk has financially retaliated against his own child and reduced his financial support substantially and unilaterally. He did this after Ashley was forced to bring this matter to court, when he refused to respond to her many private attempts to resolve this matter without publicity,” her legal representatives, Karen Rosenthal, Bikel Rosenthal & Schanfield LLP, alleged to PEOPLE in a statement.

“At the same time, he filed an emergency application to gag Ashley and prevent her from communicating about his actions. The judge denied the emergency nature of the application, even though it is still pending,” they continued.

“Ashley is vigorously opposing this application in order to preserve her right to speak out. All while Mr. Musk fashions himself a first amendment warrior and freely communicates via his owned social media platform,” they claimed. “Given that Mr. Musk is dedicated to transparency in government, it would be helpful if he administered his own life by the same principles.”