Additional Coverage:
- San Francisco officials say they won’t miss Elon Musk if he moves X to Texas: ‘Good riddance’ (newsbreak.com)
Elon Musk is planning to relocate the headquarters of his company, X, from San Francisco, California, to Texas, which has sparked minimal concern among local officials in San Francisco. Musk cited a new California legislation aimed at protecting LGBTQ+ youth from being involuntarily exposed in schools as one reason for the move. He has also expressed dissatisfaction with San Francisco’s tax policies and highlighted the city’s high crime rates as additional factors influencing his decision.
Despite these reasons, San Francisco’s city attorney, David Chiu, expressed a dismissive attitude towards the loss of the company, remarking to The New York Times, “good riddance.” San Francisco Mayor, London Breed, also showed indifference, stating she would not make efforts to persuade Musk to keep X in the city.
The exact timeline for the relocation to Texas remains uncertain. Meanwhile, X will establish some operations in San Jose and Palo Alto, both of which are located in California.
Musk’s leadership of the company, formerly known as Twitter and rebranded to X after his acquisition in 2022, has been marked by significant staff reductions, including a notable layoff on the eve of Thanksgiving. Ted Egan, the chief economist for San Francisco, commented that X’s operational footprint in the city had already diminished to the point that its departure would not significantly impact the local economy. While responses from Musk or his representatives regarding the move were not immediately available, the overall sentiment from San Francisco officials suggests a mix of indifference and acceptance towards Musk’s decision to relocate.