Stars Who Can't Stand Elon Musk

Say what you will about Elon Reeve Musk; everyone else certainly does. Musk exploded into the public eye in the late 1990s, when he co-founded the first X.com, the online cash service that would eventually become PayPal. He founded SpaceX just after he took home around $165 million from the sale of PayPal. Two years later, he'd become one of the earliest financial masterminds behind Tesla Motors. Those two businesses would define the world of information surrounding Musk for the next few years, as a variety of outlets and media properties painted him as the reclusive billionaire genius who would one day save us all. Over the decades, it's safe to say that his general reputation has shifted slightly.

Many still consider Musk one of the defining minds of the modern era, pursuing lofty ideals that could save the world or take humans into the stars. Many others now see him as a bitter, hateful, self-obsessed autocrat whose only real ambition is to be venerated as a god by every person on Earth. The level of controversy surrounding Musk has guaranteed that there are plenty of famous figures willing to voice their opinions on him and his businesses, and some of those stars outright cannot stand him.

Jimmy Kimmel has made his living telling jokes for decades. He parlayed a semi-successful series of radio jobs into a five-year stint on the award-winning game show "Win Ben Stein's Money." Kimmel then joined Adam Carolla in crafting "The Man Show" for Comedy Central before finally landing on what appears to be his forever home: late-night TV. The first episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" aired in 2003, and the show has soldiered on ever since. With over 3,800 episodes, Kimmel has hosted a classic late-night talk show roughly every other night for the past 21 years. In that time, he's had his chance to comment on nearly every event since the Bush administration, up to and including the rise of Elon Musk. 

Shortly after the 2024 U.S. election, Kimmel took to his platform to express his displeasure with the results, offering condolences to a wide variety of underprivileged groups. Musk issued a tweet calling Kimmel "an insufferable nonsense propaganda puppet," prompting a prolonged response on the next day's episode. He opened the Musk portion of his monologue by reading the tweet in full before succinctly responding, "At least my children like me." This naturally transitioned into a series of critiques of Musk's social media responses, eventually turning Musk's four-word insult on him as a more apt description. He also jokingly revealed a puppet show coincidentally using the same name. 

Rainn Wilson is and will almost certainly always be best known for his award-nominated eight-year stint as Dwight Schrute on "The Office." The show lives on in eternal syndication and countless references worldwide, but Wilson has gotten into a lot of other compelling film and TV projects. Wilson is less well-known for his charitable work, which often involves traveling to countries like Haiti to offer educational resources to locals. Wilson's fondness for Haiti contributed to his public attacks on Elon Musk as he joined the considerable list of famous people who quit X, formerly known as Twitter, in protest.

Wilson was enraged by the conservative accusations of Haitian migrants killing and eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, prompting him to launch his final tweets before deleting his account. In those posts, he decried those responsible for spreading the narrative and attacked Musk for allowing his social media outlet to platform conspiracy theories. Wilson specifically described Musk (via The Wrap) as "the world's richest man who spends all day on his phone throwing online kerosene on the fire of 'culture wars.'" He charged the mogul with spreading hateful material and "tweaking his algorithm to suit his agenda." Wilson bid his audience a fond farewell and promptly deleted his account, removing his goodbye video from the service.

Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk have a few things in common. They're both massively wealthy and controversial moguls of inconceivably massive social media empires, who also spend a lot of their time pursuing more personal hobbies in public. There are also a few notable things that divide them. Zuckerberg never quite developed the distinct cult of personality that surrounds Musk, ensuring a distinct lack of devoted fans. The clashes in their personal philosophies led them to trading barbs, and it almost led them to trading blows.

Zuckerberg and Musk got off to a rough start in 2016, when a SpaceX rocket exploded and destroyed one of Zuckerberg's satellites. They would go on to make subtle statements against each other about the future of AI and the relative power they both wield in their social media empires. While hyperbolically attacking Zuckerberg's Threads app, Musk playfully suggested a cage match, which gradually seemed to become a genuine possibility. Musk kept adding details, claiming that the fight would stream on X and that the proceeds would go to charity. In August 2023, Zuckerberg ended speculation about the fight, straightforwardly taking to Threads to state that Musk was not serious. He ended the post by saying, "I'm going to focus on competing with people who take the sport seriously." No fight ever emerged, leaving many fans disappointed. 

Chloe Fineman joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live" in 2019, and her tenure has covered one of the strangest periods in the show's long history. Her first episode saw her work with Woody Harrelson in the season 45 premiere. In her 36th entry, Fineman and the rest of the cast dealt with the comedy stylings of Elon Musk. While Musk wasn't the worst "SNL" host of all time – Steven Seagal still holds that title – a lot of critics took issue with Musk's performance. While on "Watch What Happens Live," fellow "SNL" star Bowen Yang was asked to call out a host's bad behavior, leading him to describe a star that "made multiple cast members cry." Fineman soon confirmed that she was one of those cast members, and Musk was the host in question.

Fineman posted, then deleted, a TikTok in which she explained that Musk was cruel to her because he didn't care for her ideas. She described him staring at her "like you were firing me from Tesla" (via USA Today). Musk allegedly leafed through her script, berating her for what he perceived as unfunny material. The sketch in question later made it to the show, leading Fineman to affirm Musk's performance while also pointing out his rude behavior. Fineman initially kept the story under wraps, only choosing to reveal it once Musk attacked the show for Dana Carvey's impression of him. Any other cast and crew members Musk antagonized have remained silent. 

Over six decades into his career, Sir Elton John remains one of the most influential and iconic musicians of all time. There's truly no world he can't conquer, from children's cinema soundtracks to the Broadway stage and back. Along the way, the "Rocket Man" singer has racked up a lot of allies and enemies, including John's well-known feud with Bob Dylan. Among those endless big-time relationships, such as John's well-publicized bond with Stevie Wonder, he never shied from speaking his truth, even about someone as powerful as Elon Musk.

John's first public exchange with Musk was rather cordial, as is to be expected from the beloved singer. The musician joined the long list of celebrities leaving X (formerly Twitter) in protest of Musk's leadership policies, leaving behind over a million followers. Musk tried reaching out, asking for specific examples, but John was long gone. At the 2024 Attitude Awards two years later, John made a playful, pointed dig at Musk from the stage. After calling him an expletive, John has kept his mouth shut about the X mogul. 

During the 2024 presidential race, Elon Musk gradually became a figure of critical importance to the Republican effort. In that process, he made enemies of the already-opposed Democrats, including vice presidential hopeful Tim Walz. Walz became the governor of Minnesota in 2018 and won re-election in 2022, earning attention for accomplishments such as a celebrated program for free school meals. Before and after the Harris campaign picked Walz as her running mate, the governor attracted a lot of young voters by straightforwardly attacking his political opponents as "weird." Musk became a target of his ire late in the race. 

After the first and only debate between Walz and JD Vance, Walz lashed out at Musk at a rally in Wisconsin. Walz characterized Musk as Donald Trump's running mate, discounting Vance outright and tying his opponent's political ideology to that of the richest man in the world. Walz doubled down on his insults, announcing, "Look, Elon is on that stage jumping around skipping like a dips***" to a roaring crowd (via The Independent). The governor got a considerable laugh, making fun of Musk's habit of leaping into the air while attending Trump events. Walz also alleged that Musk was using his massive wealth to help Trump secure support, a popular allegation after Musk offered checks to those who would sign a petition supporting his PAC.

It's hard to imagine someone that Bernie Sanders would hate more than Elon Musk. The longtime Vermont senator started his political career way back in 1981 as the mayor of Burlington and worked his way up to a long tenure in the nation's legislature. Throughout his political career, Sanders has remained one of the most vocal critics of the one percent ever to hold a seat of power. He firmly believes that billionaires like Musk shouldn't exist, advocating for policies that would redistribute wealth away from the richest people in the nation. As of late 2024, Musk is the richest person in the nation, making the two men natural enemies.

Sanders lashes out at billionaires and the system that created them all the time, but he's willing to attack Musk by name at times. In 2021, Sanders sent out a tweet criticizing Musk and fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos, stating that their "level of greed and inequality is not only immoral. It is unsustainable." The senator has no reservations about naming Musk and his peers as the source of many problems in the U.S. In another tweet (before Musk purchased the platform), Sanders attacked Musk's desire to take his cash and flee the planet, stating, "The level of inequality in America is obscene and a threat to our democracy."

Azealia Banks is one of the most controversial figures in the hip-hop game. After releasing her first album without representation in 2012, Banks signed with multiple record producers and went on to release several well-received albums. While her music is popular, her opinions have drawn a lot of mixed responses: She's gone on the record with harsh things to say about the LGBT+ community, in particular some controversial statements about trans people while identifying as bisexual herself. Banks vocally supported Donald Trump, often revoking and reinstating that support, and for some reason is also a big fan of Vladimir Putin. Given her history of high-profile controversies, including one LAPD investigation into Banks for criminal battery, it should be no surprise that she's clashed with Elon Musk.

In 2018, Banks allegedly stayed at Musk's Los Angeles home for a few days while planning to collaborate with his then-wife, the musician Grimes. During her stay, she launched a ton of insults against Musk in now-deleted Instagram posts. Allegedly, Grimes kept Banks waiting while comforting Musk, who was panicking after his notoriously ill-thought-out social-media prank to take Tesla private after it reached $420. Musk would deny involvement with Banks, but she would later attack him again during the 2024 election: Banks briefly revoked her oft-repeated support of Trump, supposedly to keep Musk away from the halls of power.

Janja Lula da Silva is the wife of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the first lady of Brazil. The Lula family and the Brazilian government at large engaged in a legal back and forth with Elon Musk over his ownership of X, formerly known as Twitter. In August 2024, Brazilian users found the app inaccessible as Brazil's Supreme Court ordered its suspension. The same legal body issued orders demanding Musk block several accounts allegedly spreading hate speech and misinformation, which Musk ignored. 

Lula spoke up in September, arguing that Musk's wealth shouldn't entitle him to enforce his ideology. Musk managed to hold out for a couple of months, criticizing the court decision as tyranny, but he eventually relented, allowing X to return to Brazil in October. While the battle is seemingly over, da Silva still has words for Musk.

During a G20 event in November, da Silva heard a ship's horn in the distance. She playfully responded, "I think it's Elon Musk," before adding, "I'm not afraid of you; f**k you, Elon Musk" (via CNN). The expletive got a laugh and raised attention, including a response from Musk, who issued a tweet claiming Lula would lose the next election. 

Michael Keaton remains one of the most beloved actors of the era. Celebrated from the 1980s and onward, Keaton may be best known for his two collaborations with visionary director Tim Burton. He portrayed the iconic Beetlejuice in 1988 and many people's favorite Batman in 1989, cementing his lifelong fame with two roles. He would then go on to star in a wide variety of projects, including instant classics like "Birdman" and "Spotlight," but he's recently taken to remounting his iconic '80s roles in legacy sequels like "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice." In October 2024, Keaton used his sizable platform on Instagram to make a statement about Elon Musk and the billionaire's preferred political candidate. 

Keaton posted a video in which he accused Musk and Trump of mistreating their fanbase. While criticizing Musk and Trump's character, he stated, "They think you're stupid. They don't want to hang out with you — they have nothing in common with you. They're not your bros" (via The Wrap). Keaton urged followers of both figures to see through their statements and rage against those perceived insults. Some accused Keaton of attacking Musk's supporters, but Keaton's allegations of insincerity and disrespect speak for themselves.

Beloved horror author Stephen King is famed for his almost absurd release rate. The man behind "It" and "The Shining" is rapidly approaching his 100th published book, including short story collections, and King even co-wrote a musical. As prolific as he is, King still found time to be extremely active on Twitter. In the 11-year life of his account, King issued 6,301 posts, an average of one-and-a-half posts every day for more than a decade. During that period, he became a very vocal critic of Elon Musk as the billionaire bought the platform. 

One of King's earliest attacks on Musk came when the new platform owner suggested a $20 monthly fee to keep their blue verification checkmark. King was quick to declare he'd abandon the platform, suggesting that Musk should actually be paying him for using the service. In September 2024, King issued a tweet calling Musk's political takes "increasingly loopy (not to mention fictional)" and accusing him of using that manufactured outrage to "gin up interest in X" (via Newsweek). King's attacks became so common that he had to dispel rumors that his account had been banned by the platform owner. Finally, in November, King issued his final tweet, declaring that the "atmosphere has just become too toxic" and offering his followers the chance to find him on Threads, Mark Zuckerberg's competing app. 

Stand-up comedian Bill Burr hates an awful lot of people, places, and things if his jokes are to be believed. This icon of the stage is well known for his prolonged rants, many of which step into controversial topics and rile up a considerable amount of anger. Way back in 2012, Burr earned some outrage with a prolonged attack on the recently deceased Steve Jobs. He attacked the Apple founder for making himself the face of other people's work, openly opining that the widespread love and admiration for Jobs was overblown and unfair. Extending an insult that sounds like a compliment, Burr dubbed Elon Musk the new Jobs in an extended takedown.

As part of a live episode of his Monday Morning Podcast, Burr called Musk every name but the one he was born with. The barely-bidden rant covers Burr's issues with Tesla, X, and Musk as a figure of admiration in much the same way he attacked Jobs a decade earlier. Burr particularly took issue with Musk's alleged use of Botox and a "hair system." Burr described Musk's appearance as "like Space Christopher Walken" and made comparisons to wax figures. The comedian even used Musk's appearance as an argument against others idolizing him, stating that Musk must be "looking into a mirror going, 'I don't like the way I look.'"