Musk’s Texas Takeover: Why Bastrop Is the New Silicon Valley Battleground

Recently, Elon Musk announced that he would be moving the headquarters of his social media company, X, to Bastrop, a small town east of Austin. This came as a surprise to many given the town’s proximity to Austin, so why did Musk choose Bastrop as the landing spot for X’s headquarters?

According to the Austin American-Statesman, Musk has been increasingly drawn to small-town Texas. PaceX already has facilities in Bastrop, where he is building Hyperloop Plaza, a work-live community for his employees. Tesla is also headquartered in Austin, less than 40 miles from Bastrop.

In addition, The Boring company, Musk’s tunneling company, moved to Batrop in 2021.

The move to Texas is part of a larger trend for Musk, who has been shifting his operations to the Lone Star State over the past few years. His decision was partly motivated by frustration with California’s regulations and a legal battle in Delaware over Tesla’s compensation plan. Musk has expressed dissatisfaction with the state’s handling of public safety and legislation like the SAFETY Act, which he claims contributed to his companies leaving.

Bastrop residents, however, are not so happy with Musk’s presence in their town. Many have said that prices have risen dramatically since the company’s arrival, and that Boring’s operations are destroying the town’s landscape.

“It is beyond heartbreaking, I could start crying just talking about it,” Flynn, 62, a Bastrop resident, told The London Times. “We had these incredible vistas of outstanding natural beauty. It was breathtaking — you’d pull over and cry because it’s so pretty. And now, it’s gravel mines.”

Musk is definitely enjoying moving his companies to Texas. The state offers him fewer regulations and tax incentives. Plus, his political views are more in line with the state. But Batrop residents have been more vocal about the damage Musk’s companies have done to their town, and the addition of a new company could create more tension.