A 9-foot-tall bust of Elon Musk in Texas was vandalized, according to the landowner where the bust sits in South Texas.
The Tesla CEO and DOGE leader’s bust was vandalized over the weekend, the landowner, Eleazar Villafranca, said in an interview with ABC News. A French artist made the bust to bring more attention to a bad drawing of the SpaceX founder that became famous several years ago.
The attack on the bust follows a series of events targeting Tesla products and dealerships across the country.
Here is what happened to the bust.
Elon Musk bust vandalized
The landowner said he discovered Musk’s bust was vandalized when he returned to the property after the weekend. The bust sits near the SpaceX Starbase facility in South Texas.In 2024, the bust was created and paraded through South Texas on a trailer towed behind a Cybertruck. The giant bronze statue was seen around the area and unveiled during an “Elon Day” celebration in Brownsville, Texas, near the SpaceX facility.
The landowner said that after the vandals struck, the bust’s eye, chin and back had gashes. The bust, which is 9 feet tall and 7.5 feet wide, is made of a rubber-like material. The landowner contacted the bust’s original artist to have it repaired.Who made the Elon Musk bust?
The person behind the statue of Musk is an anonymous artist who goes by the name Louis XXII. According to an interview with ARTnews, he is the cofounder of ElonRWA.
Forbes describes ElonRWA as tokens that represent ownership of the physical portrait. Token holders have voting rights on what is done with the portrait in the future.
The idea for the sculpture of Musk came after Louis XXII and his digital artist collective commissioned a large mural in 2024 of the same bad drawing from Reddit.
Attacks on Tesla
In response to Musk’s right-wing activism, Tesla cars have become targets for vandalism in several countries. Attacks on Tesla cars and dealerships have been reported in the United States, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
The recent attacks started in response to Musk’s role with the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, in drastically slashing the federal workforce, which has sparked protests, lawsuits and some cases of vandalism.These events have gained the attention of the United States Department of Justice, which has called the attacks a form of domestic terrorism.
“The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. “Let this be a warning: if you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars.”
