Adapted by:
Rubén Andrés
WriterWriter at Xataka. I've been working remotely for more than a decade and I'm a strong advocate of technology as a way to improve our lives. Full-time addict of black, sugar-free coffee.
Alba Mora
WriterAn established tech journalist, I entered the world of consumer tech by chance in 2018. In my writing and translating career, I've also covered a diverse range of topics, including entertainment, travel, science, and the economy.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s impressive track record in running some of the most innovative companies has taken an intriguing turn. The billionaire has decided to put himself in a challenging position by leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), with plans to implement the most aggressive job cuts in U.S. history.
Musk’s association with President Donald Trump has raised concerns about potential negative influences on his companies. Only one person has boldly addressed this issue: Errol Musk, Elon Musk’s father. Recently, he openly expressed his worries about the path his son is taking.
The relationship between Elon and Errol Musk has always been complicated, marked by a history of conflicts and verbal disputes. In an interview with Arabic news TV channel Al Arabiya in November, Errol Musk voiced his apprehensions about his son’s involvement in politics and its potential repercussions for his companies.
Was Errol Musk seeing something the rest of the world overlooked, or was it simply paternal resentment disguised as genuine concern?
Too Much on His Plate
In the interview, Errol Musk noted that one of his primary fears before Trump’s presidency and his son’s consequent cuts was the daunting challenge that DOGE would face.
He worried that Elon Musk’s focus on optimizing the Trump administration could distract him from managing his enormous responsibilities at SpaceX, Tesla, X, and Neuralink. Errol Musk referred to this as a “big concern.”
“Elon has a tremendous task on his hands. He has a couple hundred thousand employees and a lot of very serious things going on in his life, so he has to be available for all that he started... [He] can’t just walk away from things,” Errol Musk told Al Arabiya.
Elon Musk’s father said that his son’s life was already extremely busy, filled with constant decision-making. He added that it wouldn’t be practical for Trump to “have him sit in an office somewhere in Washington, waiting and twiddling his thumbs.” Instead, Errol Musk suggested that Musk should be appointed for some “sort of consultancy basis.” However, recent developments indicate that Elon Musk hasn’t approached his role at DOGE as merely a one-off consulting position.
Despite his concerns about Elon Musk’s role in Washington, Errol Musk has always trusted his son’s ability to streamline the federal administration. “Elon has started the only viable space launch facility [but] he had almost nothing to start it with... He used money he had to make sure that he could do that and he’s very frugal. He’s always been frugal. As a young boy, he wanted to do things as cheaply and better and quicker than anyone else. I can’t think of anyone more suited to a role like this than Elon,” Errol Musk said in the interview.
Tesla Agrees With Errol Musk
However, criticism of Elon Musk’s involvement with DOGE soon followed. His actions in the political arena have begun to take a toll on Tesla and his fortune. Since Trump took office, Elon Musk has lost about $148 billion due to a sharp stock market correction impacting Tesla. The company’s shares have lost around 40% of their value since January, erasing the gains made after the elections.
In light of this situation, critical voices within Tesla have begun to speak out, questioning how far the company’s stock must fall before Elon Musk refocuses on his business. One of Tesla’s main investors told The Guardian that he hopes Elon Musk’s involvement with DOGE won’t last much longer “so he can spend even more time on his businesses.”
Even Elon Musk himself admitted in an interview with Fox Business that he’s having “great difficulty” managing his businesses since joining the Trump administration.
Whether or not Errol Musk was correct in his predictions about his son, it’s highly unlikely that the billionaire would give any credence to his father’s words. Elon Musk has publicly accused him of doing “almost every evil thing you could possibly think of” and of being “a terrible human being.” Errol Musk has strongly denied these accusations.
Image | Gage Skidmore
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