Elon Musk's growing involvement in national politics has coincided with an escalation in personal security fears so severe that the billionaire now considers himself one of America's top assassination targets, behind only Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance. His concerns surfaced during a confidential November 22 reunion of former Department of Government Efficiency officials in Bastrop, Texas, where Musk appeared only by remote feed rather than attend in person. According to attendees, he warned that simply revealing his location could be fatal.
The session, held inside a building he owns near major SpaceX and Boring Co. sites, was designed to outline a "12-year plan" for the remainder of Trump's current term and a potential two-term Vance presidency. Participants told RadarOnline.com that instead of greeting them on site, Musk appeared from "what appeared to be a pitch-black, undisclosed location" and explained his absence by stating he believed he was "among the top assassination targets in the country, behind only Trump and Vance."
Musk's claim reflects what he described as a dramatic shift in his threat profile after endorsing Trump in July 2024, shortly after the assassination attempt on the then-candidate in Butler, Pennsylvania. He has repeatedly accused major media outlets of amplifying political hostility toward him. In an October 2024 message posted on X, Musk wrote, "With their relentless hit pieces, legacy mainstream media are actively encouraging the assassination of @realDonaldTrump and now me."
That post included an image from Der Spiegel labeling him "enemy number two," and a video clip of Trump discussing the risks of political influence. Musk echoed that sentiment, writing: "Anyway, so dramatically increasing my risk of being assassinated. Engaging in politics [is] not what I want to do. I do not have a death wish. But the stakes are so high that I really have - I feel I have no choice but to do it."
Further evidence of Musk's fears appeared in private text messages made public during his custody dispute with conservative commentator Ashley St. Clair, mother of their son Romulus. When planning a September 2024 visit to see the infant, Musk wrote, "I get credible death threats. I'm #2 after Trump for assassination." He told St. Clair, "If I make a mistake on security, [our son] will never know his father," adding, "Wake up. This is not the time for sentiment over safety." After St. Clair said she had intentionally omitted his name from the birth certificate, Musk replied, "necessary for now," and added, "Only the paranoid survive."
Musk's security posture was previously bolstered by his brief tenure as a "special government employee" running DOGE, the federal office created by Trump in January 2025 to overhaul government technology. During that period, his private security team operated with Secret Service deputization, accompanying him to Washington and other presidential events. But that appointment ended in May 2025, leaving Musk without federal protection as threats intensified.
Since stepping down, Musk has retreated from public events, making only one major appearance-Charlie Kirk's memorial service in Glendale, Arizona. Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and an ally of Musk, was assassinated on a Utah college campus on September 10, a killing that Musk reportedly viewed as further confirmation of rising political danger.
