Elon Musk's Tumultuous 2025: From Political Alliances to Corporate Challenges and Wealth Milestones
In 2025, Elon Musk's public profile was marked by controversy and significant developments across his business and personal life. Early in the year, Musk made headlines for performing a Nazi-style salute at Donald Trump's January inauguration, which, along with his support for a staffer nicknamed "Big Balls," sparked backlash. He also appeared at the White House bearing a black eye.
Musk's Doge program, which initially started as a loose White House staff operation, expanded into a central unit that dramatically restructured federal agencies, leading to mass layoffs. The program became embroiled in privacy and transparency lawsuits and allegedly disrupted USAID aid programs. Despite these efforts, Musk's alliance with Trump fractured by mid-2025, although Trump hinted at a potential future realignment. Later in the year, Musk attended a White House dinner with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in November.
On the personal front, Musk faced a custody suit involving Ashley St Clair and publicly disclosed his 14th child. His estranged trans daughter, Vivian Wilson, was also spotlighted, alongside a New York Times investigation into his father, Errol Musk.
Tesla experienced a global sales slump amid ongoing challenges. Musk secured a pay package with the potential to make him the world's first trillionaire. However, the California DMV warned Tesla over alleged misrepresentation of Autopilot capabilities and threatened a potential sales ban. Additionally, a Florida jury awarded $200 million in a lawsuit related to an Autopilot crash. Tesla also faced lawsuits connected to its Cybertruck model.
SpaceX continued to register significant achievements and risks. The Starlink satellite network expanded, yet Starship rocket explosions persisted. Mexico filed legal actions against SpaceX over debris harming sea turtle hatchlings. Despite these issues, the FAA and US Air Force approved more launches.
Corporate leadership changes were notable in 2025. Linda Yaccarino left her role as CEO of X; xAI lost its co-founder, CFO, and lead lawyer amid public challenges faced by xAI's Grok, which experienced public meltdowns but also secured a $200 million Department of Defense contract. Tesla saw departures among its top executives as well.
By the end of the year, Elon Musk's net worth approached $600 billion, a reflection of his unprecedented wealth growth and the potential to become the world's first trillionaire.
