Corporate Leaders Can Hold Elon Musk Accountable | Opinion

Since 2025 began, Elon Musk has registered his enthusiastic support for Alternative for Germany (AfD), a far-right political party notorious for its use of Nazi-era slogans and imagery. He's urged Germans not to give "too much of a focus on past guilt." In this country he is leading an effort to shut down or weaken a range of federal agencies, like USAID, that were created and funded by the U.S. Congress.

This behavior isn't coming from a rogue internet troll—it's coming from a man who sits at the top of corporate America.

With Elon Musk deeply embedded in the Trump administration, it is unlikely that anyone in the White House will demand a shift in his behavior and rhetoric. Quite the opposite; it appears that his proximity to power has emboldened his worst instincts.

That's unfortunate, but there's good news—corporate America has a critical role to play in holding Elon Musk accountable. The question isn't whether they can act. It's whether they will.

Tesla, SpaceX, X, and Musk's other ventures are deeply integrated into the global economy. Musk's businesses rely on financing from major banks and investment firms, partnerships with other private companies, advertisements from other businesses, complex international supply chains, and consumer loyalty.

All of these entanglements are levers that can be pulled to shift his behavior.

Until now, many of these stakeholders have remained silent despite Musk's repeated embrace of authoritarian rhetoric and actions. That silence is complicity, and it must change.

Investors and board members must take responsibility. Corporate governance exists for moments like these—when a leader's behavior poses reputational, financial, and ethical risks. Shareholders of Tesla and SpaceX must demand oversight, accountability, and if necessary, leadership changes. We've seen companies swiftly distance themselves from public figures over offensive remarks, yet Musk continues to act with impunity.

Other corporations should also rethink their partnerships with Musk-backed companies. SpaceX works with aerospace firms. Tesla has relationships with major automakers, technology suppliers, and energy companies. Every business that continues to work with Musk must ask itself: Is this a risk worth taking? No responsible executive should bet their company's reputation on Musk's ability to control himself. If Musk's radicalization continues, his companies will become liabilities. Smart business leaders should preempt that reality by carefully considering their reliance on Musk's ventures.

Major brands and advertisers also have leverage. Companies that pour billions into advertising on X should deeply examine whether they want their brands associated with a man who amplifies white supremacist rhetoric. Many companies have already left X over these concerns, and others should follow suit. Advertising dollars are a powerful tool to motivate corporate accountability—one that must be leveraged here.

Consumers and the public should recognize their power as well. Corporations follow the money. That means consumers—regular people who buy Tesla cars, pay for Starlink internet, and subscribe to X Premium—hold immense power in shaping business decisions through their buying power and by raising their voices.

This isn't a novel idea. Public pressure has led companies to drop controversial figures, improve labor practices, and cut ties with unethical suppliers. The same pressure can force businesses to distance themselves from Musk.

Musk's control over essential technology platforms adds another layer of urgency to this issue. Despite the recent flock of people moving to alternative platforms like Bluesky, X remains a major hub for political discourse. Starlink also provides internet services that influence global communication. These companies shape how people interact with information, organize politically, and even access the internet.

This makes Musk's behavior even more dangerous. Unlike a typical CEO, he controls infrastructure that directly impacts democracy, speech, and access to information. Allowing someone with authoritarian sympathies to wield such influence without accountability represents a fundamental threat to our democratic institutions.

Musk has many undeniable strengths as a technologist and entrepreneur. Through Tesla, he has transformed the automotive industry. SpaceX has proven to be a pathbreaking effort to build commercial rocket ships. All of this has made him an incredibly wealthy man.

But for too long, Musk has operated with impunity, behaving in ways that would cost any other executive their career. He has amplified conspiracy theories, harassed journalists, and promoted antisemitic rhetoric on X. Despite the clear ethical and reputational risks posed by his behavior, the business community has largely looked the other way.

It's time for that to change. Musk has long believed himself untouchable. He's wrong. If the Trump administration won't reign him in, business leaders and consumers should before his influence normalizes even more dangerous rhetoric.

Michael Posner is director of the Center of Business and Human Rights at NYU Stern School of Business. His new book, Conscience Incorporated: Pursue Profits While Protecting Human Rights, provides a guide for business leaders working to create socially conscious, sustainable companies―while pursuing profits.

The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.