Elon Musk Statue Defaced in Texas
A 12-foot Elon Musk bust inspired by a 2019 Reddit meme has been vandalized near the town of Boca Chica Village in south Texas.
The statue, which lies along a road leading to the Musk-owned SpaceX facility Starbase — a seaside complex the billionaire is attempting to convert into an autonomous town — was damaged over the weekend of April 5, coinciding with nationwide protests against the Trump administration and DOGE’s federal job cuts.
Inscribed with the title “Elon, aka MemeLord,” the foam and fiberglass statue was commissioned by ElonRWA, a cryptocurrency “memecoin” currently valued at $0.000034. The crypto token is based on a real-life portrait of Musk that went viral six years ago for its absurd, wide-jawed depiction of the billionaire.
ElonRWA confirmed to Hyperallergic in an email that the Texas bust, erected last August by the group, was vandalized by “Elon Musk haters.”
Photos reviewed by Hyperallergic show a gash in the sculpture’s right cheek beneath the eye and several marks that appear to be from knife stabs to the cheek and chin. It is unclear who is behind the damage, but the landowner of the property where the statue sits told ABC News that he filed a report with authorities. The Cameron County Sheriff’s Office has not yet responded to Hyperallergic’s inquiry.
The incident comes amid a wave of vandalism targeting Tesla dealerships and the brand’s vehicles over Musk’s right-wing politics and outsized influence over the Trump administration. In response, the Justice Department has described the uptick in the destruction of property at Tesla dealerships as acts of “domestic terrorism.” Other vigilantes have graffitied Cybertrucks in acts of protest.
ElonRWA purchased the real sketch behind the meme, which Reddit user Watchieboy shared in 2019 along with the earnest message, “Tried drawing Elon Musk. I’m fairly new to drawing portraits and would appreciate any advice/criticism!”
The crypto group then contracted a Utah 3D printing fabrication agency to bring the work to life. The coin’s cofounder, a French tech professional who goes by the moniker Louis XXII, said in an August interview that the statue was meant to bring the meme “into the real world,” but for what purpose remains a mystery.
When asked to provide a statement on the vandalism, an ElonRWA spokesperson provided Hyperallergic with a message for the culprit: “You can’t stop the Meme culture 😘.” On X, ElonRWA unseriously remarked on the situation, “We will keep supporting Elon’s mission to make life multiplanetary and extend the light of consciousness to the stars. Occupy Mars!”
Before planting the bust near Starbase last summer, a Cybertruck hauled the newly unveiled sculpture through the nearby city of Brownsville as part of an event dubbed “Elon Day” on August 25.
Similarly, in 2022, creators of a cryptocurrency called ElonGOAT — worth even less than the token behind the damaged bust — dragged a 30-foot-long sculpture of Musk’s head on a goat’s body through Austin to celebrate the billionaire.
ElonRWA did not provide additional information on whether the bust will be repaired or when. However, the landowner told ABC News that another artist has offered to repair the statue.
The vandalism of the Texas sculpture comes as Musk’s approval ratings sour in national polls and as massive protest movements against Trump and the billionaire continue to gain steam across the US.
