Elon Musk has announced his intention to move the headquarters of SpaceX and X (formerly Twitter) from California to Texas in response to a newly enacted law in California. This law prohibits schools from mandating that teachers notify parents when their child changes their gender identity.
Musk revealed his decision on Tuesday following California Governor Gavin Newsom’s signing of the law, which prevents policies requiring educators to disclose when a student requests to use a different name or pronouns. Musk declared on X that this law was “the final straw” and cited previous legislation he believes negatively impacts both families and companies. Consequently, SpaceX’s headquarters will move from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas.
Additionally, Musk announced that X’s headquarters will relocate from San Francisco to Austin, Texas. He expressed frustration with what he described as the deteriorating safety conditions around the San Francisco office, mentioning concerns about “dodging gangs of violent drug addicts.”
Musk, the wealthiest person in the world and father to an adult transgender daughter, has been vocal about his stance on such laws. He stated that he had previously warned Governor Newsom that such legislation would drive families and businesses out of California to protect their children.
In recent years, Musk has shown a preference for Texas, a state with no corporate or income tax and a reputation for conservative politics. In 2021, he relocated Tesla’s headquarters from Palo Alto in Silicon Valley to Austin and also changed his personal residence from California to Texas. Despite this move, Tesla maintains an “engineering headquarters” in California.
Since taking control of X in 2022, Musk has become increasingly open about his political views, frequently criticizing policies and public figures he deems overly progressive or “woke.” Recently, he endorsed Donald Trump for president shortly after the former president survived an assassination attempt.
California is widely regarded as one of the most liberal states in the U.S., with the Democratic Party controlling the governorship and both legislative chambers. Conversely, Texas is known for its conservative politics, with the Republican Party holding all three branches of state government.
