Maye Musk’s SI Swimsuit Cover in Belize Is a Colorful Display of Vibrant Beachwear

When she was photographed for the cover of the 2022 SI Swimsuit Issue in Belize, model and author Maye Musk became the oldest cover model in the magazine’s history at 74. And while she was surpassed by Martha Stewart the following year (Stewart was 81 when she was photographed by Ruven Afanador in the Dominican Republic), both women were inducted into SI Swimsuit’s legends class in honor of the issue’s 60th anniversary in 2024.

Musk, who is known for her campaigns with brands like CoverGirl and Dior Beauty, is a dietician and author. Her 2019 memoir, A Woman Makes a Plan: Advice for a Lifetime of Adventure, Beauty and Success, became a New York Times best-seller, and during her SI Swimsuit cover shoot, we had the opportunity to pick Musk’s brain about her book. While she admitted that she had “no intention of writing a book,” Musk also shared how her hardships as a single parent ultimately informed how she raised her children.

“They said I needed to bring up my struggles,” Musk told SI Swimsuit of how her children, Elon, Tosca and Kimbal, reacted to her writing a memoir. “But I didn’t want to. We lived through tough times, and I didn’t want to tell anybody. Even my brothers and my twin sister had no idea how I suffered or that I was having problems in relationships, business or personal life. That’s because I never complained; I never said anything. People had no idea how poor I was; I never went out for dinner and we never went to the movies, but they didn’t realize that it was because I couldn’t afford it.”

Following her internationally best-selling memoir, Musk’s latest book, Timeless: The Art of Reinvention and Resilience at Any Age, is available today, Tuesday, Sept. 15, wherever books are sold. In the book, Musk “shares her extraordinary story of resilience, adaptability and the courage it takes to embrace change at any age,” per the publisher’s website.

When daughter Tosca penned an essay about her mother for Musk’s SI Swimsuit cover, she highlighted just a few of her mom’s many lifetime accomplishments. “In her years on this planet she’s earned two master’s degrees in nutrition science, won awards in the dietetics field, has been in countless fashion shows and editorials, and she’s even appeared in a Beyoncé video,” she noted. “She is an uncontainable force, and she’s the most fearless woman I’ve ever known.”

In honor of Musk’s latest accomplishment and in celebration of her latest book, we’re throwing it back to just a few of our favorite photographs from her 2022 SI Swimsuit Issue cover, captured by Yu Tsai in Belize.

Maye Musk was photographed by Yu Tsai in Belize. Swimsuit by Maygel Coronel. Pants by Caroline Constas. Earrings by Cleopatra's Bling. | Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Maye Musk was photographed by Yu Tsai in Belize. Swimsuit by Cali Dreaming. Coverup by PatBo. | Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Maye Musk was photographed by Yu Tsai in Belize. Earrings by Cleopatra's Bling. | Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Maye Musk was photographed by Yu Tsai in Belize. Swimsuit by OYE. Earrings by Cleopatra's Bling. Ring by VIDEMUS OMNIA. | Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

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