Elon Musk said Tuesday that he will move two of his companies, X and SpaceX, from California to Texas, claiming that a new Golden State law meant to protect LGBTQ children was the “final straw.”
Musk said SpaceX will move its headquarters from Hawthorne, Calif., to its Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Tex. He also said X, which is based in San Francisco, will relocate to Austin — a shift that was anticipated as the company has begun to offload its office space in the Mid-Market neighborhood.
The CEO of both companies blamed a California law signed Monday by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) that bans school districts from requiring that teachers notify parents if their children changes their gender identification. The law also bars educators from sharing information with parents about a child’s sexual orientation. Musk said he previously made it “clear” to Newsom that “laws of this nature would force families and companies to leave California to protect their children.”
A spokesperson for Newsom did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a similar move in 2021, Musk moved Tesla’s headquarters to Austin in protest of California’s high taxes, business regulations and pandemic restrictions. The company, however, still retains a second headquarters in Palo Alto.
California state Sen. Scott Wiener (D) criticized Musk’s statement on X, saying “California literally made you with taxpayer subsidies & because it’s the best place around.”
“Will this be a fake temper tantrum move just like Tesla’s fake ‘move’ to Texas?” he said.
Musk’s tweet comes days after he solidified his alignment with GOP politics by endorsing Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign on X. His endorsement followed the attempted assassination of the former president.
Musk and Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
