Elon Musk has long railed against the U.S. government, saying a crushing number of federal probes and safety programs have stymied Tesla, his electric car company, and its efforts to create fleets of robotaxis and other self-driving automobiles.

After reaching a net worth of more than $486 billion in December, Elon Musk’s wealth has sunk below $400 billion for the first time in 2025. Tesla—where Musk derives about 60% of his wealth—has had an abysmal year. Waning demand and Musk’s continued controversial foray into politics have helped drive the stock down 27%.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Elon Musk has long railed against the U.S. government, saying a crushing number of federal investigations and safety programs have stymied Tesla, his electric car company, and its efforts to create fleets of robotaxis and other self-driving automobiles.

According to SpaceX’s own calculation, the Roadster completed its first orbit around the Sun in August 2019 and made its first close approach to Mars on Oct. 7, 2020.

Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk is no stranger to hyperbole. For example, he once called the Hyperloop, which was never built, the "fifth mode of transport" and famously promised to take Tesla private in a Twitter post,

Tesla’s stock continues to pullback, as the souring of public opinion toward CEO Elon Musk fuels worries of lower sales.

The EV maker's investors have to weigh what the CEO’s bid to gain control of the ChatGPT creator means for his time and their shares.