Elon Musk has spent much of the 2000s being seen as the brains behind Tesla and SpaceX, but lately, the story around him has changed. What once felt like admiration has turned into frustration. Between his political moves, chaos posts online, and the way he runs his businesses, a lot of people are honing in on Musk’s most violent ideologies. So why has Musk become such a divisive figure, and is the hate justified?

Outside of social media, Musk’s political views have shifted in ways that turned off some of his former supporters. Back in 2016, he donated $5,000 to Hillary Clinton’s campaign and even told CNBC that Donald Trump didn’t have the “sort of character that reflects well on the United States.”

But in recent years, he’s taken a sharp turn right, aligning himself with conservative figures and causes, including Brad Schimel, a controversial candidate in Wisconsin’s 2025 Supreme Court race. Musk threw $21 million investment in the campaign, which flopped, making people question if he really cared about the cause or just saw it as a business opportunity in disguise.

Tesla, once the golden child of the EV revolution, has also taken a hit. In early 2025, the company reported a 13% drop in sales, its lowest in nearly three years. While increased competition in the EV market is a factor, it’s clear that Musk’s personal controversies are also pushing consumers away. Tesla’s glow has dimmed not just from rising competition but from a storm of controversy, clouding the company’s image.

Musk’s personal life has also added to his polarizing image. His transgender daughter, Vivian Wilson, has publicly distanced herself from him, once calling his businesses a “Ponzi scheme” and accusing him of using progressive politics as a marketing tool. 

More recently (July of 2024), she pushed back on a story Musk posted about her on X, calling it “entirely fake” and saying, “He doesn’t know what I was like as a child because he quite simply wasn’t there.” 

While some still write it off as a private family issue, it’s only fueled the sense that Musk’s carefully curated image might be more smoke and mirrors than substance.

Adding to the list of controversies, Musk’s companies still get hit with legal trouble. In 2024, Australia’s eSafety Commission fined X Corp $418,000 for not properly handling child exploitation content. Instead of taking responsibility Musk’s company fought back, reinforcing his image as an anti-human rights figure. 

Tesla’s workplace culture, unfulfilled technological promises, and his erratic behavior on X have given critics plenty to work with. From union-busting allegations to amplifying harmful rhetoric, he’s built a track record that raises serious questions about accountability. His leadership style often seems to put his own ego or business interests first, no matter the cost. 

Perhaps the culmination of Musk’s public image dropping to the trenches took place during the inaugural few weeks following Trump’s 2025 inauguration, when he showcased two back to back Nazi salutes in front of an audience of Trump supporters. 

The fascist imagery was displayed unapologetically, and advocates and prominent WWII experts across the world lambasted the billionaire. Michel Friedman, a former deputy chair of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, said the salute was a “dangerous point for the entire free world.”

Ultimately, the backlash isn’t just about his personality, it’s a response to patterns of decisions that prioritize personal ambition and favor of riches over human rights, and has conveniently aligned with principles central to the sitting Republican party and administration.