Elon Musk’s messy breakup with California rages on

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The wealthiest man on the planet has been pouring millions into the 2024 election in an effort to propel Donald Trump back into the White House and protect Republican seats in Congress.
In three months alone, Elon Musk added almost $75 million into his America PAC, which has spent over $110 million to support GOP candidates, with the largest share going to tight California congressional races, my colleagues Laura J. Nelson and James Rainey reported this week.
This marks a pivot for the South African-born billionaire, who for years mostly kept out of politics, donating modestly across the aisle and voting for Democrats Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
“Musk has said he shifted toward Republicans because Democrats have become too liberal,” James and Laura wrote. “But his expansive business portfolio — which includes Tesla, SpaceX and its broadband internet subsidiary, Starlink — also stands to benefit from a supportive Congress and an attentive ally in the White House.”
Musk has increasingly been at odds with California, where he lived for many years. The saga has played out like a messy breakup happening in public; you can’t really look away.
If you’re on X (formerly Twitter) in any capacity, it’s hard to miss his posts trashing California and trolling its Democratic leaders (in large part because he had the platform tweaked so his tweets dominate the ranked timeline).
Musk has likened Gov. Gavin Newsom to the Joker, claimed Democrats aim to turn the country into “a single-party socialist state” like California and railed against state policies on immigration, transgender youth and deepfake election content.
In July, Musk announced he would move SpaceX and X headquarters from California to Texas, just as he’d done with Tesla’s HQ in 2021.
James Rainey previously chronicled Musk’s “messy divorce” with the Golden State, writing that the mogul’s “California dreaming has been clouded with his dark view of a state that he accuses of ‘overregulation, overlitigation, overtaxation.’”
Still, the tech tycoon’s influence in the Golden State is undeniable.
You can spot it in the Teslas zipping along the street, in the news as his rebranded Twitter platform has become a hub for MAGA ideology and rampant disinformation (some of it boosted by Musk himself), and in the skies over California, courtesy of a SpaceX launch light show.
“Culturally what [Musk]’s done has been so in the spirit of California,” author Edward Niedermeyer told me this week. “It’s a state of both technological innovation and spectacle and he really brought those two together.”
Niedermeyer’s 2019 book “Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors” traces the EV company’s rise from its founding to its approach after Musk’s takeover to its place in cultural perception pre-pandemic.
For him, Musk’s embrace of Donald Trump’s worldview and his parallel rejection of California’s liberal politics aren’t really about ideology or free speech martyrdom (as Musk often espouses). Rather, Musk is reckoning with a “slow encroachment of long overdue consequences that is pushing him into this right-wing, anti-government [stance].”
Musk and his companies have faced numerous violations, lawsuits, fines and settlements in and out of California, including for air pollution at Tesla’s Fremont plant, workplace safety violations, labor practices and mishandling hazardous waste.
More recently, the California Coastal Commission rejected SpaceX’s plan to increase its rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Panel members raised concerns about the impacts on local wildlife but some also took issue with Musk’s political posts and his companies’ labor records.
Now SpaceX is suing the commission, alleging “naked political discrimination” against Musk.
The billionaire took to his social media platform, calling the state panel an “insufferable and misanthropic group of Karens” and saying it should be dissolved.
Musk’s ascent through Tesla and his other ventures “could only have happened in California,” Niedermeyer argued. Their growth was aided with billions in government subsidies from the state and federal government. And given California’s proud place as an innovation and environmental standard-bearer, Niedermeyer said regulators were initially more willing “to look the other way” as Musk’s companies cut corners and flouted regulation.
“Ultimately, it has bought the state zero loyalty,” he said, “and Musk is now moving on.”
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Josh Silver writes: “The FOOD cafe in West L.A. I eat lunch there almost every day. It’s my version of the TV series ‘Cheers,’ as it’s a place where everybody knows my name. The food is uniformly delicious. I’ve brought dozens of guests over the years with nary a single complaint.”
Annette writes: “Without a doubt, our favorite restaurant is Anchos Southwest Grill and Bar in Riverside! Food is great! Amazing steak tacos, fresh tortillas, tasty green and red sauces on enchiladas, called Christmas, just to name a couple. Our family has been celebrating here for over 30 years!”
And Susan writes: “One of my favorite restaurants anywhere and best in California is Ojai Rotie. Sit outside at their picnic tables that are always decked with a pot of flowers. Beautiful Lebanese roast chicken with sides or try a lamb burger, chop chicken salad, really everything is great.”
Thank you for all of the restaurant recommendations this week. It was a pleasure reading your emails.
Today’s photo is from staff photographer Robert Gauthier, who was recently on assignment for a story about how a bold generation of graffiti taggers are hitting high-profile targets in Los Angeles.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Ryan Fonseca, reporterDefne Karabatur, fellowAndrew Campa, Sunday reporterHunter Clauss, multiplatform editorChristian Orozco, assistant editorStephanie Chavez, deputy metro editorKarim Doumar, head of newsletters
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