Elon Musk has become a rather polarizing figure in the US, and perhaps around the world. It’s not surprising that some individuals are eager to deface artworks featuring the billionaire. The latest target of such vandalism is a 9-foot-tall bronze bust of Musk located at Starbase, Texas. The once-smooth bronze surface now shows peeled and damaged sections around the face and back. The culprit remains unknown, but the property owner where the Musk statue is located has announced plans to install security cameras to help deter any further acts of vandalism. They also stated their intention to contact the original artist to repair the damaged artwork.
This bronze statue first appeared in August 2024 when a Cybertruck towed it through South Texas. After sparking several days of speculation, the statue was eventually installed near SpaceX’s launch facility. The person behind the artwork is a French tech entrepreneur named Louis, who is also a co-creator of a cryptocurrency called “ElonRWA.” He came up with the idea to commission the 3D printing company WhiteClouds to produce the Musk statue. The piece is intended as a tribute to Musk’s achievements, particularly his influence on meme culture.
Even in 2024, there were already people who expressed dissatisfaction with Elon Musk, and the sentiment has only grown stronger in 2025. As his political influence in the U.S. continues to increase, more people have become critical of him, with some even expressing outright hatred. That hostility appears to have surfaced in the recent vandalism of the Musk statue.
It didn’t take long for news of the Musk statue vandalism to spread online. While acts of vandalism are generally frowned upon, many people didn’t see anything wrong with what had been done. “Not vandalized enough though,” one Redditor remarked.
Others questioned why Musk even had a statue in the first place. It would be one thing if he had commissioned it himself, but the piece was created by someone else entirely. “A lot of idiots here in the Valley got brainwashed. Hell, my dumbass friends get giddy talking about how they want to move to ‘Starbase City.’ The rest of us just leave them to their circle jerk while we enjoy our evening, politics-free,” another user said.
Some users criticized the Musk statue, pointing out how odd and off it looked. “Is it just me, or does that not even look like the dude?” one Redditor asked. However, the statue’s asymmetrical appearance is intentional, as it was designed to reference the “Elon, I drew you” meme.
