Elon Musk Update: Still Feuding

It was supposed to be the attention economy’s version of the Super Bowl: Elon Musk interviewing Donald Trump. Instead, this week’s live conversation on Musk’s social media platform X with the Republican nominee was beset by technical glitches that Musk attributed to both hackers and X’s own “unforced errors.”

But that’s just another Tuesday for the richest person in the world. Musk’s notoriety as an online provocateur may now have eclipsed his reputation as an innovator in the technology and automotive sectors. Between his willingness to engage in ill-fated public stunts and a growing number of public feuds, Musk’s behavior is threatening to sidetrack his achievements in business.

The list of those antagonized by – and antagonizing – Musk is long and distinguished. Most recently, he lashed out at the European Union for warning X about compliance with the terms of the EU’s Digital Services Act ahead of the platform’s Trump event. (Fans of the film “Tropic Thunder” will probably appreciate his response.)

Meanwhile, Musk continues to spar with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), whom he has dubbed “Senator Karen.” A member of the Senate Banking Committee, Warren has probed the connections between Tesla and Musk’s other business ventures for years in search of information about potential governance issues. Her latest fact-finding mission covers using Tesla’s resources for projects such as SpaceX and xAI.

Then there’s Musk’s long-running feud with OpenAI. Earlier this month, he filed a new version of a previously withdrawn complaint against the artificial intelligence company in federal court in Northern California. Musk is charging OpenAI founders Sam Altman and Greg Brockman with subverting the company’s core principles in favor of commercial interests.

Additionally, Musk has entered a war of words with British government officials over his influence on the public dialogue. Against the backdrop of the recent civil unrest in the United Kingdom, authorities have spoken out about the lack of accountability for Musk and his capacity to spread disinformation. Musk sparked controversy with a post on X linking immigration to the possibility of civil war in the U.K.

Returning to Musk’s relationship with Trump, a corporate customer in Europe announced it will stop purchasing Tesla vehicles in response to Musk’s support of the former president’s bid to recapture the White House. Germany-based drugstore chain Rossmann cited Trump’s views on climate change as motivation for its decision to drop Tesla electric vehicles from its fleet. Musk has a history of dealing with the German environmental movement: He took to X earlier this year to lambast protestors opposed to building a new Tesla plant in the country.

How about fellow billionaire Mark Cuban? Musk and Cuban have spent time this year parrying on X over the hot-button topic of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Musk also has beef with the state of Michigan. This month, Michigan’s secretary of state revealed authorities are investigating the manner in which Musk-backed America PAC obtained voter information.

Ironically, China appears to be the one place where the waters are calm for Musk. He has remained uncharacteristically silent on some of the subjects fueling the hostilities between the United States and its chief economic rival. That makes sense, seeing as roughly half of Tesla’s vehicles come from China. Given Musk’s track record, however, Chinese President Xi Jinping shouldn’t be surprised if he eventually finds himself the subject of a barb on X.