Elon Musk announced on Tuesday that he was relocating two of his companies, X and SpaceX, from California to Texas, claiming that new legislation to protect LGBTQ children in California was the “final push.”
Musk said SpaceX would move its headquarters from Hawthorne, California, to its Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, and that the San Francisco-based company would move to Austin, a move that was expected as the company had begun selling office space in the Mid-Market district.
Both CEOs blamed the situation on a California law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Monday. The law prohibits school districts from requiring teachers to notify parents if a child’s gender identity changes. The law also prohibits teachers from sharing information about a child’s sexual orientation with parents. Musk said he previously told Newsom “unequivocally” that “this type of law would force families and businesses to leave California to protect their children.”
“The new law does not take away or diminish parental rights,” Newsom’s office said in a statement. “Parents have an important role to play in discussions about their students’ LGBTQ+ identities. [this law] It doesn’t preclude families from having these conversations.”
In a similar move in 2021, Musk moved Tesla’s headquarters to Austin in protest of California’s high taxes, business regulations and pandemic response restrictions, though the company still maintains a second headquarters in Palo Alto.
California Senator Scott Wiener (Democrat) criticized Musk’s comments about X, saying, “California literally built you guys with taxpayer subsidies because California is the best place around.”
“Is this going to be a fake tantrum move, similar to Tesla’s fake ‘relocation’ to Texas?” he said.
Musk’s tweet came days after he endorsed Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign on X, solidifying his support for Republican politics. His support came in the wake of the assassination attempt on the former president.
Musk and Tesla did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
