Elon Musk says goodbye to California. The technology magnate announced on Tuesday that he will move the main offices of SpaceX and X, formerly known as Twitter, to Texas. It is the latest blow by the businessman against the state that saw him grow as an entrepreneur. Musk, who has become a full-fledged supporter and donor to the campaign of former President Donald Trump, says that his decision responds to the approval of a law that prohibits school districts from notifying parents of children who change their sexual identity in schools. “Last year I made it clear to Governor Gavin Newsom that legislation of this nature would force families and companies to leave California to protect their children,” Musk wrote on the social network he acquired in 2022.
Musk’s move marks the end of a corporate move that began with Tesla in 2021. The electric car giant’s headquarters moved from Palo Alto, California to Austin, Texas, which has become one of the most important tech hubs in the western United States. The Texas capital will also host X, the social network that was born in San Francisco. SpaceX’s main offices, located in Hawthorne, south of Los Angeles, will now be based at the company’s launch base in the Rio Grande Valley, near the border city of Brownsville.
Newsom, the local California leader, has called the bluff The governor’s office said in a statement that the tycoon, increasingly identified with the hardline Republican wing, “The last time Elon Musk ‘moved’ offices, Tesla ended up expanding in California, even relocating its Global Engineering and Artificial Intelligence offices.” February of last yearThe state, the most populous in the country, is also Tesla’s largest market. Four out of ten electric vehicles in the United States are purchased in California.
Musk’s announcement prompted local California officials to come out in defense of the state against the Republican stronghold. “Look at how Texas leaders ‘protect their children’: They have a homicide rate 29% higher than California; gun violence deaths are 78% higher than California; infant mortality is 39% higher and Texas is the 31st state in gun regulation, while California is number 1,” they said.
In contrast, Republican Governor Greg Abbott was more concise in his welcome to Musk’s interests. “Texas is the main headquarters for business,” he wrote on the digital platform. Days after the deal that took over Twitter, Elon Musk walked into the offices in downtown San Francisco carrying a sink. It was a nod to the phrase Let that sink in, which could be translated into “think about this”. He was one of the richest men in the world buying a communications technology giant. His controversial management of the company has since been characterized by opening the door to users who were punished in the past for radical and extremist speeches.
San Francisco’s local press reported last week that Twitter’s iconic building on Market Street will be available for rent in the near future. According to The San Francisco Chronicleemployees still working at that site have not yet been informed whether they will have to relocate to Austin. Musk is not a fan of remote work.
The controversial school law
California on Monday became the first state to ban school officials from notifying parents of changes in a student’s gender identity. The law, known as AB1955, was passed amid a national debate over the rights of LGBTQ+ families and students. Supporters of the legislation believe it can help those living in LGBTQ-hostile homes. Critics say it will hamper communication between school officials and families.
In its message of contrast with Texas, California authorities have assured that the rule protects the relationship of students with their families by “preventing” politicians and school personnel from interfering “inappropriately” in personal matters and avoiding determining when “deeply personal conversations” should take place. “Under state law, minors cannot legally change their name or gender without parental consent and parents are guaranteed access to their school records,” the local administration recalls.
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