Elon Musk, once celebrated as a tech visionary behind Tesla and SpaceX, has faced growing backlash due to his political ties, controversial corporate decisions and provocative public statements.
Born in 1971 in Pretoria, South Africa, Elon Musk co-founded Zip2 in 1995, which was sold to Compaq in 1999. He then launched X.com, which merged with Confinity to form PayPal, acquired by eBay in 2002.
His later ventures, SpaceX (2002) and Tesla (2004), solidified his status as a leading innovator in aerospace and electric vehicles. In 2022, Musk acquired Twitter for $44 billion and later rebranded the platform as X, integrating it into his broader vision for an “everything app.”
Initially celebrated for his technological contributions, Musk’s public image began to shift in the late 2010s for several reasons:
Did you know? Despite popular narratives of Elon Musk as a self-made entrepreneur, he came from a wealthy South African family. His father, Errol Musk, is suspected of owning an emerald mine in Zambia, and Elon has acknowledged receiving financial support from his family during his early ventures.
By 2025, the aforementioned factors culminated in widespread protests targeting Musk and his business interests.
The demonstrations were driven by core grievances:
Did you know? A March 2025 Brookings op-ed called DOGE’s naming choice a “branding blunder,” while a CNN/ORC poll found 62% of respondents viewed it as “inappropriate” for a government agency and 44% felt it damaged confidence in the administration’s reform efforts.
The “Tesla Takedown” movement, with demonstrations in over 250 cities worldwide, aimed to challenge Musk’s influence.
Originating in early 2025, this grassroots initiative organized nonviolent protests at Tesla locations across the US, Canada, Europe and Australia.
Protesters called for boycotts and urged the public to divest from Tesla by selling their vehicles and shares, intending to economically impact Musk and question his political influence.
Two key factors fueled the protests:
Declining sales figures underscored consumer discontent. In the first quarter of 2025, Tesla’s global vehicle deliveries dropped 13% year-over-year to 336,681 units, marking the company’s lowest quarterly performance since mid-2022.
Did you know? While intended to be peaceful, some protests escalated into acts of vandalism. For example, on March 24, 2025, incendiary devices were discovered at a Tesla dealership in Austin, Texas.
SpaceX’s activities also attracted scrutiny, particularly regarding safety and regulatory compliance.
The 2025 Starship explosion served as a stark reminder of the risks associated with private space exploration. The largest and most powerful rocket ever built disintegrated minutes after liftoff, scattering debris across protected areas and reigniting debates about safety, environmental responsibility and regulatory oversight in the private spaceflight industry.
Musk’s political involvement further complicated matters. Serving as the head of DOGE, he oversaw significant federal spending cuts and deregulation efforts. This role led to conflicts of interest, especially concerning agencies that regulate his businesses.
For example, SpaceX faced fines from the Federal Aviation Administration for safety violations, including operating an unapproved launch control room and using non-approved rocket fuel, totaling $633,009.
Musk’s entanglement in political affairs, particularly his advisory role to President Trump and leadership of DOGE, has led to significant public disapproval.
A February 2025 poll indicated that 52% of Americans held an unfavorable view of Musk, with only 29% expressing approval.
In response to the mounting criticism, reports suggest that Musk is considering stepping back from his governmental advisory role to focus on his business ventures. Such a move could be aimed at mitigating public perception that his political activities are adversely affecting Tesla’s performance.
However, given Musk’s history of unconventional decisions and resilience, it’s uncertain whether distancing himself from politics will fully quell public dissent or restore consumer confidence in Tesla.
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