A 12-foot-tall statue of Elon Musk was vandalized near Boca Chica Village in south Texas over the weekend of April 5. The foam and fiberglass bust, which stands along a road leading to Musk’s SpaceX facility at Starbase, was defaced with a gash in its right cheek and several knife stab marks. The statue, inscribed with the title “Elon, aka MemeLord,” was inspired by a 2019 Reddit meme depicting a wide-jawed caricature of Musk.
It was commissioned by a cryptocurrency group called ElonRWA, known for promoting a memecoin currently valued at $0.000034. Louis XXII, a cofounder of ElonRWA, said in August that the statue was intended to bring the meme “into the real world.” The group purchased the original meme illustration from its creator, a Reddit user known as Watchieboy, and had it brought to life with the help of a Utah-based 3D printing company. The landowner of the property where the statue stands has reported the incident to authorities, but the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office has not yet responded to inquiries about the incident.
Musk statue vandalized in Texas
The culprit behind the damage remains unknown. This act of vandalism comes amidst a wave of similar incidents targeting Tesla dealerships and vehicles, driven by backlash against Musk’s politics and his influence over the administration of former President Donald Trump.
The Justice Department has described the increase in property destruction at Tesla dealerships as acts of civil disobedience. In response to the vandalism, an ElonRWA spokesperson said, “You can’t stop the Meme culture 😘.” The group also posted on social media, “We will keep supporting Elon’s mission to make life multiplanetary and extend the light of consciousness to the stars. Occupy Mars!”
The landowner mentioned that another artist has offered to repair the damaged statue, though there is no information yet on when or if the repair will take place.
The vandalism occurs as Musk’s approval ratings decline and protest movements against both Trump and Musk continue across the United States.
