Elon Musk Waves Goodbye to Politics, Buckles Down on Tesla—and Mars (Sort Of) 🚗 🌌

4 Minute Read

Elon Musk has officially dialed back his political ambitions and returned to the empire he built—Tesla, SpaceX, and the ever-expanding web of projects under his wing. Investors, engineers, and Tesla superfans everywhere exhaled in unison (and possibly charged their flamethrowers in celebration).

Earlier this year, Musk moonlighted in Washington as the unofficial czar of the Department of Government Efficiency—DOGE, naturally—slashing budgets, making memes, and drawing headlines faster than Congress could hold a vote. But come Tesla’s Q1 earnings call, the music stopped. Profits had fallen 71%, deliveries slipped, and Musk looked at a very not-amused board of directors and said, in effect, “Okay, fine. I’ll go home.”

And he did. By late May, Musk had hit the 130-day term limit for his government role and made a ceremonial White House exit. Cameras rolled, press badges flashed, and just like that, Elon was back on the factory floor—figuratively, if not literally.

Wall Street clapped. Tesla stock bounced up more than 2% as Musk promised to re-immerse himself in the EV and AI trenches. Analysts cheered the shift, calling it a “critical realignment” and a much-needed signal to investors that Tesla wasn’t just an accessory to his political cosplay.

But if you thought the drama was over, you don’t know Elon. Days after declaring a retreat from politics, he logged back onto X and called a newly-passed federal spending bill a “disgusting abomination.” So much for a quiet exit.

Still, it’s clear the tone has changed. Musk has publicly stated he believes he’s “done enough” in politics and wants to scale back involvement going forward. That’s after donating a reported $250 million to various campaigns last year, mostly in favor of Trump—a spending spree even by billionaire standards. Now, Musk says he’s shifting that energy back to where it “matters”: engineering, factories, rockets, and models (both AI and vehicle).

And oh, there’s plenty to do.

Tesla’s long-awaited robotaxi pilot program is finally rolling out in Austin. Dozens of Model Ys are operating autonomously—well, with human safety drivers still nervously watching—as part of a limited $4.20-per-ride beta. Musk says full rollout is coming in September, assuming no one ends up in a lake.

Meanwhile, SpaceX is revving up for another Starship orbital launch and eyeing a Mars timeline Musk still insists is “within reach.” At the same time, he’s reportedly camping out in factories and server rooms again—an old-school Musk move not seen since the Model 3 “production hell” era. X (formerly Twitter) and xAI are also back on his round-the-clock rotation, proving that stepping away from politics doesn’t mean sleeping.

Disclaimer: This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. The information provided may be outdated or contain inaccuracies. Always conduct your own due diligence and consult a licensed financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal.

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