Elon Musk Acknowledges Over-Involvement in Politics; Refocuses on Core Businesses as SpaceX’s Starship Faces Third Setback

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk recently acknowledged that he had spent “a bit too much time on politics” over the past year. In an interview with Ars Technica, conducted just hours before SpaceX attempted the ninth test flight of its Starship rocket, Musk admitted his increased political involvement might have been a slight distraction. Responding to a question about whether his political focus had negatively impacted SpaceX, Musk stated that although he did spend more time on political matters, the media exaggerated the extent of his involvement due to the high news value of political controversies.

Musk clarified that despite appearances, he never fully disengaged from his business operations. He emphasized that he remained actively involved with Tesla, SpaceX, and social media platform X (formerly Twitter). His admission centered on the allocation of his time, suggesting that while he didn't leave his companies, he had spent relatively more time on government and political matters than he should have. In recent weeks, however, he has made a conscious effort to reduce that focus and reallocate his time back to his businesses.

This public reflection comes amid broader scrutiny and debate over Musk’s influence in both the technology and political spheres. His political tweets and statements in recent months have drawn widespread media attention, adding to perceptions that he was prioritizing politics over business. However, Musk is now signaling a shift back to full-time leadership within his companies.

Reinforcing this shift, Musk recently announced via a post on X that he was stepping back from his role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a tongue-in-cheek name likely referring to his efforts in governmental reform or criticism. In the tweet, he stated, “Back to spending 24/7 at work and sleeping in conference/server/factory rooms,” indicating a return to his famously hands-on leadership style. He added that his renewed focus would be on X, his AI company xAI, Tesla, and the upcoming launch of SpaceX’s Starship.

Coinciding with Musk’s renewed commitment, SpaceX suffered a major technical setback. On May 27, the company’s Starship prototype exploded for the third consecutive time during a flight test. The spacecraft lifted off successfully from the SpaceX Starbase facility in southern Texas at 6:36 PM local time but later disintegrated over the Indian Ocean. SpaceX later described the incident on its X platform as a “rapid unscheduled disassembly,” a term the company uses to describe rocket explosions.

Despite the failure, the Starship program remains a cornerstone of Musk’s space ambitions, particularly his goal of enabling human colonization of Mars. The repeated test failures highlight the technical challenges involved, but SpaceX remains committed to iterative development through testing and improvement.

In summary, Elon Musk is realigning his priorities back to his core ventures—Tesla, SpaceX, X, and xAI—after acknowledging an overcommitment to politics. While SpaceX continues to face hurdles with its Starship program, Musk’s renewed focus could bolster efforts to overcome those challenges in the near future.