Being the world's richest man might sound like a pretty sweet deal, but with over $340 billion to your name (at the time of writing), we can imagine there’s a fair few people who'd want to get their hands on your fortune or simply wipe you off the face of the Earth. Elon Musk has become an increasingly divisive figure since he became a 'special government employee' and stepped up as head of the Department of Government Efficiency.
More than just angry federal workers and members of the public hijacking screens with gross AI videos of Donald Trump sucking Musk's toes, several have been implicated in making death threats against him.
Musk has shared his own fears in the aftermath of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson being shot dead, with alleged messages between him and MAGA influencer Ashley St. Clair also referencing his own safety.
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In his own words, Musk seemingly said: "I get credible death threats every day. I'm no.2 after Trump for assassination. Wake up. This is not the time for sentiment at the expense of safety."
Now, Musk has openly discussed his assassination fears in his latest appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast.
With topics ranging from Fort Knox conspiracy theories to bizarre predictions about sex robots, Musk said he didn't understand the shooting of Thompson.
Rogan went on to blame the media, saying that Fox News is the only network speaking about the positives of DOGE's cuts while the rest report on the negatives. Musk reiterated that his position at the head of DOGE has already made him a lot of enemies: "I mean, I was supposed to go back to DC, how am I going to survive? Those f**kers are going to kill me for sure."
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Still, he defended his position in trying to expose fraud within the government and added: "I actually have to be careful that I don't push too hard on the corruption stuff because it’s going to get me killed."
Saying that he was thinking about it on the plane ride over, Musk claims it gets particularly dicey when funds are cut off and people can't afford to send their kids to school - leading to potential revenge.
Musk referred to 2024's attempted assassination of Trump in Pennsylvania, explaining how the shooter might've been guided toward it similar to how you brush a curling stone toward its target: "If you're brushing the ice, it's eventually going to hit the bullseye."
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Rogan chimed in, suggesting that you can make people do a lot of things and saying that's why cults exist.
Musk concluded: "They're making it sound like if you kill me, you're a hero. What they're doing is evil."
At least Musk is aware of potential dangers, boasting his own security team of up to 20 staff that affectionately refer to him a 'Voyager'. As reported by the New York Times, Tesla and SpaceX shell out millions every year to keep Musk safe.
As he made clear to Rogan, threats against his life are something Mr. Musk continues to take very seriously.