Austin: Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s residence near Austin was reportedly targeted during a post-election protest, amid growing criticism of the billionaire and renewed scrutiny of his association with US President Donald Trump. The demonstration reportedly featured chartered buses, speeches, theatrical Cybertruck piñatas and music.
The event, titled “People Over Billionaires Election After Party”, was held on Saturday in West Lake Hills, Texas. Notably, the SpaceX founder owns a sprawling property in the area. The event was organised by three left-wing groups — VOCAL-TX, a fiscally sponsored project of a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit; the Center for Popular Democracy Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Brooklyn; and People’s Action, a 501(c)(4) political nonprofit based in Chicago, Fox News reported.
Organisers of the “After Party” did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment. However, they have previously maintained that their local demonstrations are driven by grassroots mobilisation within communities, the media outlet reported.
The demonstration featured a series of activities, with organisers arranging speeches, music and Cybertruck-inspired piñatas. Protesters travelled to the venue aboard two blue chartered Fly-Rides party buses, while Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You’ played during the event. They also put up an anti-Musk poster carrying the slogan ‘I AM STEALING FROM YOU’, a message that has been seen at protests in several parts of the country.
The organisers of this weekend’s demonstration were also involved in leading the “Tesla Takedown” protests last year, some of which witnessed violent incidents. A Fox News Digital investigation found that the protests were backed by 258 organisations, whose combined annual revenues were estimated at $2.6 billion.
According to the media report, the groups involved in the campaign have extensive experience organising large-scale protests. Although the latest demonstration remained peaceful, researchers at organisations such as the Network Contagion Research Institute warn that polarising rhetoric and attempts to demonise opponents at such events can create what they describe as a “permission structure” for political violence.
Last month, ahead of the US midterm elections, reports emerged claiming that Musk had become the largest individual political donor in modern American history after contributing $446 million towards the polls. The billionaire’s donations had largely supported efforts to preserve Republican control of Congress, as some of America’s wealthiest donors poured billions of dollars into the election cycle.
According to The Washington Post, the 50 biggest donors had collectively contributed more than $2.7 billion during the 2026 midterm cycle. Republican-leaning donors accounted for approximately $1.67 billion, compared with $832 million from Democratic-leaning donors and $264 million from bipartisan and special-interest groups.
Election filings show that Musk had donated at least $355 million to his super PAC and other Republican-aligned groups from the beginning of July through the midterm elections. He also reportedly contributed $30 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund, which supports Republican candidates contesting House seats.
Bureau Report
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