Mercurial tech titan Elon Musk says SpaceX headquarters is moving to Texas from California, attacking Golden State Gov. Gavin Newsom for policies that Musk says are “attacking both families and companies.”
The space exploration and rocket company will move its headquarters to Boca Chica, Texas, which Musk refers to as Starbase, the company’s CEO posted Tuesday on X.
In a follow-up message, Musk said that X will also move headquarters to Austin, putting it close to the central offices of electric car maker Tesla.
“This is the final straw,” Musk posted, linking to a separate post about a new California law that Newsom signed banning schools from notifying parents of transgender students. “Because of this law and the many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies, SpaceX will now move its HQ from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas.”
“I did make it clear to Governor Newsom about a year ago that laws of this nature would force families and companies to leave California to protect their children,” Musk said in another message.
The apparent headquarters moves come as Musk takes an increasingly political stance, endorsing Donald Trump on Saturday shortly after the assassination attempt on the former president and 2024 White House candidate.
SpaceX has primary operations at its Starbase complex in Cameron County near the Gulf of Mexico, building rockets and its “Starship” vehicle. It has also conducted Starship flight tests from Boca Chica, although the company does most of its launches from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Musk, the world’s richest person with a net worth of about $267 billion according to Bloomberg, has long flirted with Texas while criticizing California for regulations, taxes and the handling of the COVID-19 crisis.
X, the social media company he bought for $44 billion in 2022, will also be moving to Austin, he said in another message shortly after the SpaceX announcement.
“Have had enough of dodging gangs of violent drug addicts just to get in and out of the building,” Musk said, referring to X’s San Francisco headquarters.
Musk moved the headquarters of his electric vehicle company to Texas in 2021.
Gov. Greg Abbott celebrated the relocations of SpaceX on social media.
“This cements Texas as the leader in space exploration,” Abbott’s posted on X.
