Elon Musk to Relocate SpaceX and X Headquarters to Texas Following New California Law
Billionaire Elon Musk announced on Tuesday that he will be moving the headquarters of SpaceX and X (formerly Twitter) from California to Texas. Musk cited Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent signing of a law that bans schools from requiring teachers to notify parents if their child identifies as transgender as a significant factor in his decision.
Musk expressed his dissatisfaction with the new legislation on X, saying, “This is the final straw.” He elaborated, “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.”
In a follow-up post, Musk added, “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.”
After announcing this decision, Musk also stated that X’s headquarters will be relocated from San Francisco to Austin due to concerns about safety in the city. Musk complained that he has “had enough of dodging gangs of violent drug addicts just to get in and out of the building.”
Texas is already home to SpaceX’s Starbase launch site and rocket factory. In response to Musk’s announcement, Texas Governor Greg Abbott welcomed the decision, stating, “This cements Texas as the leader in space exploration.”
This move aligns with Musk’s previous actions to move his businesses from liberally-ran states to conservative ones. In 2021, he relocated Tesla’s headquarters from Palo Alto to Austin and earlier this year moved SpaceX’s incorporation from Delaware to Texas.
Musk and other business leaders have been vocal about the challenges of operating in states with liberal policies like California. Since the pandemic, many businesses and individuals have relocated from California to Texas or other conservative states to escape what they see as poor economic policies and failed leadership.
