It is a chilling paradox that the world's wealthiest, most visible entrepreneur, Elon Musk, is now one of the world's most reclusive. The man who envisions humanity on Mars and revolutionised electric travel has reportedly retreated from the public eye for a truly terrifying reason: he fears imminent assassination.
The startling revelation came from the 54-year-old tech titan himself, who disclosed his profound security fears to a group of his former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) colleagues.
For starters, DOGE, short for the Department of Government Efficiency, was a federal office established by an executive order from President Trump on 20 January 2025, following a proposal by Musk himself. Its stated objective was to modernise government technology and dramatically cut excess regulations and spending within the federal bureaucracy.
According to reports from RadarOnline.com, the Tesla founder was forced to decline an in-person meeting with them due to his own chilling assessment of the risks to his life, a situation that dramatically underscores the high-stakes political drama now surrounding the billionaire.
The World's Richest Man and Elon Musk's Fear of Being a Top Target
The session in question was a top-secret reunion held on 22 November, where Musk's former colleagues—current and former DOGE staffers—gathered in a building owned by the businessman in Bastrop, Texas, close to his sprawling SpaceX and Boring Co. facilities. The agenda included a '12-year plan' covering the remainder of President Trump's current term, followed by a potential eight-year JD Vance presidency.
Instead of greeting the attendees at the Texas location, Musk was forced to dial into the private reunion, appearing 'from what appeared to be a pitch-black, undisclosed location,' as one participant recounted to the outlet. The reason for this extreme security measure? Musk himself provided the shocking answer. He explained that he decided not to attend the event in person because he feared his location would be leaked to the wider public, an event he believes could prove fatal.
Those present at the meeting recounted that the South African-born magnate stated he believed he was 'among the top assassination targets in the country, behind only Trump and Vance'. This admission paints a truly disturbing picture of the personal cost of his increasingly high-profile political involvement.
The Political Price of Backing Trump and Elon Musk's Stance
Musk has been transparent about the fact that the threats against his life escalated dramatically after he announced his endorsement of Donald Trump for president in July 2024. This endorsement came shortly after an assassination attempt on the then-Republican candidate in Butler, Pennsylvania, further highlighting the volatile atmosphere surrounding US politics.
As mainstream media and global news outlets intensified their scrutiny and criticism of the electric car guru, Musk warned that these actions were actively putting him in danger. He articulated this concern in an October 2024 post on his own platform, X, writing, 'With their relentless hit pieces, legacy mainstream media are actively encouraging the assassination of @realDonaldTrump and now me'.
In that same post, he shared a photograph from Germany's news outlet Der Spiegel, which featured the SpaceX founder labelled as 'enemy number two' alongside the former President. The billionaire included a clip from a Trump campaign rally in which he explained his reluctance, yet necessity, to engage in politics.
'Anyway, so dramatically increasing my risk of being assassinated. Engaging in politics [is] not what I want to do. I do not have a death wish. But the stakes are so high that I really have – I feel I have no choice but to do it.'
'Only The Paranoid Survive': Elon Musk's Private Fears
The severity of Musk's fears was further revealed in a series of private texts released in February 2025 as part of his child custody lawsuit with Ashley St. Clair, the mother of his son.
For those who are not aware, Ashley St. Clair is a conservative author and commentator who publicly announced in February 2025 that she and Musk shared an infant son, Romulus, born the previous September.
Following his high-profile political campaigning, he told St. Clair that he was now the top assassination target after the real estate tycoon.
When making arrangements to visit St. Clair and their infant in September 2024, Musk expressed acute anxiety about a possible assassination attempt during his travel.
He initially wrote, 'I look forward to seeing you and him this weekend', before the conversation turned immediately to security. The texts revealed his escalating fear: 'I get credible death threats. I'm #2 after Trump for assassination'.
He continued, stressing the gravity of the situation, 'If I make a mistake on security, [our son] will never know his father'. He added, 'Wake up. This is not the time for sentiment over safety,'.
When St. Clair informed him that she had purposefully left his name off their son's birth certificate for security reasons, Musk replied with the chilling, cautionary phrase that defines his current security mindset: 'necessary for now,' as, 'Only the paranoid survive'.
A Life Under Guard: Elon Musk's Post-DOGE Status
When Musk was appointed head of DOGE by President Trump, his elite private security team was afforded significant additional protection and rights, as they were officially deputised by the Secret Service. This arrangement meant the Neuralink founder was routinely surrounded by extensive security when travelling with the controversial president, including during frequent visits to the White House.
However, his term as a 'special government employee' concluded in May 2025, and since then, Musk has maintained an incredibly low profile, retreating from the spotlight. The last time Musk was seen in a public setting was at Charlie Kirk's memorial at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
This appearance was especially poignant, as the Turning Point USA founder had himself been tragically assassinated on a college campus in Utah on 10 September, an event that would only serve to solidify Musk's very real and terrifying fears.
The story of Elon Musk's chilling security fears—forcing the world's most visible innovator into a reclusive, pitch-black existence—is a sobering reminder of the extreme volatility that now defines the intersection of technology, wealth, and high-stakes politics.
From endorsing President Donald Trump to witnessing the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Musk's life has transformed into a real-world thriller where the price of influence is paranoia and physical danger.
The magnate's private admission that he is 'among the top assassination targets' is not just a personal tragedy; it reflects a deeply troubling new norm in the political landscape.
