Elon Musk said Tuesday he will move the headquarters of his social media platform X and his space company SpaceX from California to Texas.
Musk said he made the decision after California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law Monday that prohibits mandating teachers to notify families whenever they learn about students’ gender identity changes. SpaceX already has a presence in Texas, with a launch facility dubbed Starbase near Brownsville.
“This is the final straw. Because of this law and many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies, SpaceX will now move its HQ from Hawthorne, California to Starbase, Texas,” Musk said on X Tuesday. “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.”
Last year, Newson signed a slew of laws aimed at strengthening LGBTQ+ protections, including legislation to increase cultural competency training programs and all-gender restrooms in schools.
Musk’s affinity for Texas is no secret. In March 2023 the Wall Street Journal reported that Musk was planning to build his own town on thousands of acres of farmland outside of Austin. Musk described the vision as a Texas utopia where his employees could live and work, according to the Journal.
His electric car company, Tesla, has been headquartered in Texas since 2021. Musk also moved his residence from California to Texas.
Musk is also planning to open up a university in Austin, according to tax filings reported by Bloomberg News.
Texas politicians lauded Musk’s announcement on Tuesday.
“This cements Texas as the leader in space exploration,” Gov. Greg Abbott said on X.
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, also offered his congratulations, saying: “We’re proud you call Texas home & Texas is proud to welcome the HQs of both X and SpaceX.”
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2024/07/16/elon-musk-x-space-x-texas-california/.
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