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The Hostile Tweet That California Lived to Regret
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The Hostile Tweet That California Lived to Regret

One week after Elon Musk and SpaceX shattered records on Wall Street, an old social media post from a California Democrat is attracting renewed attention for what many now view as a symbol of the state's troubled relationship with major employers and entrepreneurs.

On June 11, SpaceX completed what was reported as the largest initial public offering in history, raising an astonishing $75 billion and further cementing Musk’s position among the wealthiest and most influential business figures in the world. The milestone also revived discussion about California’s long-running struggle to keep major companies from relocating elsewhere.

That conversation inevitably leads back to a brief exchange that took place in 2020.


At the height of the COVID lockdown era, Musk openly criticized California officials over restrictions that affected Tesla’s operations. Frustrated by the state’s policies, he publicly floated the possibility of moving Tesla’s headquarters and manufacturing activities elsewhere.

Many business leaders and elected officials would have viewed such a threat as a warning sign. Tesla was already one of California’s most recognizable companies, employing thousands of workers and generating significant economic activity. Losing a company of that size would carry consequences far beyond a single corporate balance sheet.

But then-California Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher responded with a message that quickly became famous.

“F*ck Elon Musk,” she posted on Twitter.

Musk’s response was brief.

“Message received.”


The exchange lasted only moments, but the years that followed gave it outsized significance.

Tesla eventually shifted major operations to Texas. In 2021, Musk announced the company’s headquarters would move there as well. Later, SpaceX and X, formerly known as Twitter, also relocated key operations away from California.

With those moves came jobs, investment, tax revenue, and future growth that would no longer be centered in the Golden State.

Critics of California’s political leadership argue that the departures reflect a broader pattern. High taxes, extensive regulations, rising costs, and an increasingly hostile attitude toward business have led numerous companies to expand elsewhere. Musk’s relocation decisions became one of the most visible examples because of the enormous scale involved.


The timing has made the debate even more intense. As California leaders continue discussing new tax proposals aimed at the ultra-wealthy, opponents argue that the state has spent years pushing away the very people and companies it now seeks to tax more aggressively.

Gonzalez Fletcher is no longer serving in the California Assembly, but she remains active in public life as president of the California Federation of Labor Unions. Meanwhile, Musk’s business empire continues to grow largely outside the state that once served as its home base.

Written by Arthur Higgens - June 19, 2026