This timeline highlights some of the controversies and significant public impacts associated with Elon Musk's actions and statements.
SEC Lawsuit and Settlement
2018
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued Musk for falsely announcing that he had secured funding for a private takeover of Tesla. Musk stepped down as Tesla's chairman and paid a $20 million fine.
Acquisition of Twitter
2022
Musk acquired Twitter for $44 billion, merged it into X Corp., and rebranded the service as X, leading to significant changes and controversies.
Criticism Over Twitter Changes
2023
Musk's ownership of Twitter was criticized for large employee layoffs, an increase in hate speech and misinformation, and changes to service features.