Bilal Saeed
Few people are as well-known, controversial, and fascinating in the rapidly changing fields of technology and finance as Elon Musk. Musk’s business endeavours, which range from ground-breaking discoveries to astounding financial blunders, reveal a man whose goals are as ambitious as they are unpredictable. The divisive businessman is currently dealing with both huge victories and major failures as of early 2025. His economic empire’s unpredictability is shown by the disparate success of his firms, particularly the explosive growth of SpaceX and the sharp fall of X (previously Twitter).
Over the past four years, Musk’s financial and public trajectory has been a study in paradoxes. As the unchallenged leader in commercial space exploration, he has, on the one hand, guided SpaceX to unprecedented success. Conversely, his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter has turned out to be a cautionary story, as the platform’s valuation has dropped by more than $35 billion since the 2022 acquisition. These conflicting realities depict a guy whose endeavours fluctuate between genius and chaos, frequently depending as much on his image as on his output.
The story of X’s downfall is particularly striking. Musk had presented his acquisition of Twitter as a revolution in digital discourse and a fight for free expression. But the reality was much more tumultuous. Under his direction, X experienced a significant change in its culture and branding. The platform’s operational changes, including mass layoffs, the reinstatement of banned accounts, and a reduction in content filtering, alienated both users and advertisers, and the redesign itself was greeted with scepticism. Once a major centre for news, social commentary, and international discourse, X has found it difficult to maintain its clout in the fiercely competitive digital market.
There have been serious financial consequences.Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, paid $33 billion to acquire X in March 2025, but this could not completely hide the extent of the devaluation. Despite being marketed as a strategic synergy between AI and social data, this transaction was mostly perceived as a salvage effort, and many analysts contend that it was too late to change investor and public attitudes.
The foundation of Musk’s early legacy, Tesla, has not been exempt from his growingly divisive public persona. Once the leader of the electric vehicle (EV) revolution, Tesla’s stock fell more than a third in the first quarter of 2025, making it one of the S&P 500’s poorest performers during that time. Although there have been some slight upswings, the trend has remained continuously downward.
There are several different factors at play. Politically, Musk has lost a substantial section of Tesla’s initial customer base, which was primarily made up of progressive, eco-aware consumers, with his outspoken shift towards far-right ideas and support for Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign. The worldwide EV market has grown much more competitive, which exacerbates the problem. European and Chinese automakers are catching up quickly, and Tesla’s global prospects have been further hampered by trade disputes and possible tariffs imposed by Trump’s new administration.
This reduction is reflected in sales in important markets. Sales in China, where Tesla has the largest overseas customer base, have fallen by 50%. This is a startling statistic considering how important China is to the future of EVs. Regulations and mounting discontent with Musk’s actions have prevented Tesla from expanding in Europe. It is now highly possible that Tesla may lose its once-insurmountable lead as other automakers innovate and adjust.
SpaceX, a ray of light in Musk’s otherwise turbulent portfolio, stands in stark contrast to these difficulties. After a secondary share offering at $185 per share, the aerospace business recently reached a worth of $350 billion, further exceeding forecasts. Strong contracts with NASA, the Department of Defence, and other foreign organisations have contributed to SpaceX’s continued dominance in satellite communications and commercial launches. Musk’s personal scandals notwithstanding, SpaceX seems virtually impervious to damage to its reputation. From reusable rockets to the growth of the Starlink satellite network, its steady output has given it a level of investor trust that no other company in Musk’s empire can match.
Musk’s inconsistent leadership and public declarations have caused X and Tesla to flounder, but SpaceX has stayed committed to innovation, execution, and measurable advancement. It has been protected from the upheavals that other Musk-led businesses have experienced by its capacity to uphold a defined objective, meet deadlines, and demonstrate practical innovations.
Another interesting aspect of the situation is Neuralink, Musk’s firm that uses a brain-machine interface. It has made significant strides, but it is still little compared to SpaceX or Tesla. Neuralink’s worth rose from $5 billion to $8 billion in 2024 following successful human studies, indicating greater investor interest. Despite ongoing ethical and regulatory issues, the company continues to grow because to the possibility of ground-breaking medical and neurological applications.
Musk’s most recent attempt at artificial intelligence, xAI, is still becoming established. When xAI was first introduced in 2023 as a rival to OpenAI, its $50 billion valuation attracted notice. After the contentious 2025 acquisition of X, Musk now asserts that the AI company is valued at $80 billion. These numbers, however, are mostly based on Musk’s own estimates and are therefore highly speculative. The truth is that in an already crowded sector of artificial intelligence, xAI has yet to show any discernible returns or set itself apart in a meaningful way. Given the waning confidence in that platform, its greatest asset—the enormous repository of data from X—is also its greatest liability.
There could still be time for a course correction if he can take a cue from SpaceX’s strategy, which is to prioritise innovation, minimise distractions, and let the results speak for themselves. But Elon Musk’s stakes are larger than ever in a world where public opinion is just as important as financial results.