Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) criticized Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:SPCX) CEO Elon Musk for paying the same social security taxes as an ordinary American, but investor Ross Gerber disagrees with the lawmaker’s criticism.
Elon Musk Paid The Same Amount As An Electrician
In a post on X on Sunday, Murray slammed Musk over the taxes. “Elon Musk, the literal richest man on the planet–the world’s first TRILLIONAIRE–is paying the SAME amount in Social Security taxes as an electrician who makes $185,000 a year,” she said.
The Washington state Senator called the phenomenon “outrageous” in her post. “We need to scrap the cap so the richest people in the world pay their fair share,” Murray added.
Elon Musk, the literal richest man on the planet–the world’s first TRILLIONAIRE–is paying the SAME amount in Social Security taxes as an electrician who makes $185,000 a year.
— Senator Patty Murray (@PattyMurray) July 5, 2026
That's outrageous.
We need to scrap the cap so the richest people in the world pay their fair…
Ross Gerber Weighs In
Gerber responded to Murray’s post, saying that Musk also got the “same retirement amount” as the electrician Murray mentioned in her post. “It’s a savings plan administered by the government. NOT A TAX,” the investor outlined in his post.
He also gets the same retirement amount as this well paid electrician. It's a savings plan administered by the government. NOT A TAX.
— Ross Gerber (@GerberKawasaki) July 5, 2026
According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the current tax rate for Social Security is 6.2% for the employer and 6.2% for the employee. Self-employed individuals must pay both the employer and employee portions of the tax. Notably, the wage base limit for the 2026 Social Security tax is capped at $184,500, according to the agency.
Wealth Tax Row
The wealth tax row has been in the headlines for a while, with lawmakers calling for the wealthiest members of society to be taxed. Musk hit back at critics who called on the world’s first and only trillionaire to be taxed. “I have paid over $10B in taxes in a single year,” he said.
The Tesla CEO also recently took a swipe at Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and California’s proposed wealth tax that would levy a one-time payment of 5% tax on individuals with a net worth of more than $1 billion.
Ro Khanna vs Elon Musk
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) faced off against Musk, calling for the trillionaire to be held accountable for cutting the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) funds during his time with the President Donald Trump administration at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Khanna had also said that a one-time 5% wealth tax on Musk could fund universal child care in the U.S., leading to criticism from billionaire David Friedberg, who called on Khanna to lead by example and pay 5% of his wealth as a one-time tax payment.
Read Also: Elon Musk Is Now Richer Than His Native South Africa—And Wealthier Than These Countries
Photo Courtesy: Frederic Legrand – COMEO on Shutterstock.com
