Tesla CEO Elon Musk did not attend the official opening of the Tesla Semi factory in Nevada last week, opting to appear via a pre-recorded video. This follows his absence from the Tesla Cybercab robotaxi launch in Austin, Texas, on September 3.
Musk attended a White House dinner honoring Chinese President Xi Jinping alongside General Motors CEO Mary Barra. While Barra represented GM, Musk attended as a representative of SpaceX rather than Tesla.
Tesla is currently facing multiple legal challenges, including a race discrimination lawsuit from the California Civil Rights Department set for trial on September 21, as well as a lawsuit from the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
A new documentary titled Musk by filmmaker Alex Gibney has faced advertising restrictions on platforms including YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Meta, and X. While Meta and YouTube later restored the ads, the film remains a source of public tension.
Musk’s political action committee, America PAC, has invested $16.6 million in US Senate races and $3.1 million across more than 30 House districts to support Republican candidates during the 2026 election cycle.
