Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Elon Musk

A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Elon Musk.

Elon Musk is a prominent businessman, best known for leading Tesla, SpaceX, and X. As of 2025, he serves as a senior advisor to President Donald Trump and effectively heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk has held the title of the world's wealthiest individual since 2021, with Forbes estimating his net worth at $345 billion as of March 2025. He was recognized as Time magazine's Person of the Year in 2021.

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Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

2016: Tesla Acquires SolarCity

In 2016, Tesla acquired SolarCity for $2 billion and merged it with its battery unit to create Tesla Energy. The announcement led to a drop in Tesla's stock price due to SolarCity's liquidity issues.

January 2020: Tesla Directors Settle SolarCity Lawsuit

In January 2020, Tesla directors settled a shareholder lawsuit related to the SolarCity acquisition, leaving Elon Musk as the sole remaining defendant.

May 2020: Musk Resigns as Chairman of Tesla Board

In May 2020, Elon Musk resigned from his position as chairman of the board at Tesla. This action was part of a settlement with the SEC following a lawsuit concerning his tweet about securing funding to potentially take Tesla private.

2020: Twitter Moderates Hunter Biden's Laptop Story

In late 2022, Elon Musk released internal documents relating to Twitter's moderation of Hunter Biden's laptop controversy in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election.

2021: Musk Opposed the Build Back Better Act

In 2021, Elon Musk publicly expressed opposition to the Build Back Better Act, a legislative package endorsed by Joe Biden.

December 2022: Musk Bans ElonJet Account on Twitter

In December 2022, Elon Musk banned the ElonJet account on Twitter, which tracked his flight usage, and also temporarily banned accounts of journalists who reported on the incident.

2022: Acquired Twitter

In 2022, Elon Musk acquired the social network Twitter, later rebranding it as X.

2022: Federal Probe Launched into Neuralink

In 2022, a federal probe was launched into possible animal welfare violations by Neuralink.

2022: Musk Acquires Twitter and Implements Changes

In 2022, following the acquisition of Twitter, Elon Musk fired top executives, became CEO, instituted monthly subscriptions for a "blue check", laid off staff, and lessened content moderation.

2022: Musk Shifts Political Contributions

Since 2022, Elon Musk's political contributions have mostly supported Republicans, with his first vote for a Republican in the 2022 Texas's 34th congressional district special election.

2023: Denied Ukraine's request to activate Starlink over Crimea

In 2023, Elon Musk denied Ukraine's request to activate Starlink over Crimea to aid an attack against the Russian navy, citing fears of a nuclear response.

2023: Musk's Political Actions Face Scrutiny

Since 2023, Elon Musk's international political actions and comments have come under increasing scrutiny and criticism, especially from governments and leaders of France, Germany, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom.

2024: Musk Supports Far-Right Political Parties and Causes

Since 2024, Elon Musk started supporting international far-right political parties, activists, and causes, and has shared far-right misinformation and numerous conspiracy theories. Since 2024, his views have been generally described as right-wing.

2024: Heavily involved in politics as a vocal supporter of Trump

Since the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Elon Musk has been heavily involved in politics as a vocal supporter of Trump, being the largest donor in the election.

2025: Musk Donated to Wisconsin Supreme Court Race

In 2025, Elon Musk contributed $19 million to the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, hoping to influence future redistricting efforts and regulations governing car manufacturers and dealers.

2025: Musk Criticized for Treatment of Federal Employees

In early 2025, Elon Musk was criticized for his treatment of federal government employees, including his influence over mass layoffs of the federal workforce. He has prioritized secrecy within the organization and has accused others of violating privacy laws.