On Tuesday afternoon, tech mogul Elon Musk announced that he will be relocating the headquarters of his social media company X and SpaceX to Texas, in response to a new California law signed by Governor Gavin Newsom.
Musk revealed this decision in posts on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. He stated that SpaceX would move from Hawthorne to Starbase, Texas, and X from San Francisco to Austin.
Musk cited safety concerns in San Francisco’s mid-Market Street area and a new California law prohibiting schools from notifying parents if their child wishes to change gender identification as reasons for the move. He mentioned that he had previously warned Governor Newsom that such laws would drive families and companies out of California.
Governor Newsom responded to Musk’s announcement with a single sentence: “You bent the knee.”
State Senator Scott Wiener criticized Musk, suggesting it might be a publicity stunt similar to Tesla’s previous move to Texas.
LGBTQ rights advocates, including Gabrielle Antolovich from the Billy DeFrank Center in San Jose, criticized Musk, arguing that he lacks understanding of the issues.
Antolovich shared her personal experience of being outed to her parents by her school, emphasizing the trauma it caused.
Musk had already moved Tesla’s corporate headquarters to Austin from Palo Alto in 2021, although Tesla still operates a large factory in Fremont. Musk has also moved his private residence from California to Texas.
The move of X comes less than two years after Musk acquired the platform for $44 billion, rebranded it, and made significant staffing changes.
