Elon Musk faces backlash after criticising Zohran Mamdani on social media
The public disagreement began after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani criticised wealth inequality during a speech marking the 250th anniversary of American independence. His comments quickly drew attention because they appeared to target Elon Musk.
During the speech, Mamdani said, “We see the wealthiest country in the history of the world, one where children go to sleep hungry, while the world’s first trillionaire hungers for more,”. The remarks came after Musk’s wealth reportedly crossed the trillion-dollar mark following SpaceX’s initial public offering.
Musk responded strongly on social media. He wrote, “Mamdani has built nothing,” and added, “He is a taker, never a maker.”
The post quickly attracted thousands of reactions. Many users criticised Musk and argued that several of his companies had received significant government support over the years.
One of the most widely shared replies claimed Musk had benefited from billions of dollars in public funding. Another user described him as the “biggest single recipient of US taxpayer dollars of all time.”
Political organiser Jay Ponti also criticised Musk in a lengthy response. He wrote, “[Martin] Eberhard and [Marc] Tarpenning founded Tesla,” and reminded readers that Musk did not create eBay or Twitter.
Also read: SpaceX stock hits record low as investors question Elon Musk’s vision
Ponti further wrote, “Your wealth is from acquisitions, hostile takeovers, and stealing credit,”. He added, “Everything you have was built by workers and you fight to keep from unionizing while you receive [government] welfare.”
He ended his criticism by writing, “You are a parasite,”. The comment became one of the most discussed replies to Musk’s post.
The debate also revived discussions about government support received by Musk’s companies. Reports have previously stated that Tesla and SpaceX benefited from government contracts, loans, subsidies and tax credits over several years.
Supporters of Mamdani argued that his political agenda focuses on expanding affordable childcare, protecting gig workers from wage theft, opening city-run grocery stores and introducing a second-home tax for wealthy property owners. They said these proposals are aimed at reducing inequality in New York City.
Earlier, after SpaceX’s IPO reportedly made Musk the world’s first trillionaire, Mamdani wrote on social media, “Reason #1,000,000,000,000 why we should tax the rich,”. The message was widely shared online.
Despite their differences, both Musk and Mamdani have spoken about improving government efficiency. However, they have promoted very different approaches to achieving that goal.
The exchange highlights growing political and public debate over wealth, taxes and government support for large businesses. The online reactions show that discussions about inequality and the role of billionaires continue to divide opinion.
