Elon Musk warns of ‘oppressive’ government as newly elected Texas governor blocks land buys

Texas Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa has asked state officials to pause consideration of selling 1,300 acres of public land at Boca Chica State Park to SpaceX. The move signals a change in the state’s approach to Elon Musk’s companies, which expanded in Texas under outgoing Republican Governor Greg Abbott, and puts public access and control of the coastal land at the centre of the dispute.

The park land in Cameron County borders SpaceX’s Starbase, where the company builds and launches Starship rockets. Hinojosa, who takes office in January, said the state could work with Musk’s companies but should do so on Texans’ terms; Musk argued that Texas had attracted his businesses by avoiding what he called oppressive government. Tesla shares fell nearly 11% and SpaceX shares 9% on Thursday amid a wider market selloff, while Musk had spent hundreds of millions of dollars backing Republicans in the midterms.