In a stunning reversal of public perception, Elon Musk—once heralded as a visionary and modern-day Edison—now finds himself facing an unprecedented collapse in popularity. According to a newly released poll conducted by the Pew Research Center and confirmed by Morning Consult, Musk’s net favorability among American adults has fallen to its lowest point ever—dipping below even some of the most controversial global political figures, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

The Pew survey, conducted in July 2025, asked over 5,000 respondents to rate various global figures on a scale of +100 to -100. Musk’s net favorability came in at 26, trailing behind Netanyahu at -21 and even polarizing tech figures like Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who landed at -14.

>In comparison, just two years earlier, Musk had hovered around a +18 favorability score—buoyed by Tesla’s green energy mission, the success of SpaceX launches, and his then-perceived maverick status. So what went wrong?

A Timeline of Decline: From Genius to Pariah

To understand the plummet, one must consider a convergence of events:

2023–2024: Twitter/X Chaos
After acquiring Twitter in late 2022 and rebranding it as “X,” Musk implemented sweeping content policy changes, fired thousands of employees, and restored banned accounts in the name of free speech. However, critics argued these moves led to an explosion of hate speech, misinformation, and platform instability.

2024: Political Alignments Intensify
Musk’s increasingly open alignment with far-right political figures, including vocal support for Donald Trump’s re-election bid and attendance at CPAC 2024, alienated much of his former centrist and left-leaning fanbase. Musk’s comments on immigration, trans rights, and ESG investing further fueled the divide.

2025: Government Efficiency Department Fallout (DOGE)
Musk briefly held a powerful advisory role in Trump’s administration overseeing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Controversial cuts to Social Security, veterans’ services, and environmental oversight were all linked—fairly or not—to Musk’s influence. Public backlash was swift, especially among seniors and progressives.

AI and Privacy Fears Escalate
With his company xAI racing ahead of OpenAI and Google DeepMind in deploying autonomous artificial general intelligence (AGI), concerns about safety, privacy, and workforce automation surged. Musk’s critics accused him of pursuing technological dominance without adequate regulation.

The Netanyahu Comparison: Why It Matters

Benjamin Netanyahu has long been a divisive figure due to his hardline policies and accusations of corruption. But for Musk to now be seen as more untrustworthy or disliked than a sitting prime minister embroiled in a years-long geopolitical crisis is telling.

In interviews conducted alongside the poll, participants cited:

< Arrogance and unchecked power.”

He talks like a rebel, but acts like a tyrant.”

I used to love Tesla. Now I’m ashamed to own one.”

These are the sentiments of former fans, not fringe critics. Some said they felt “betrayed” by Musk’s transformation from tech savior to political provocateur.

From Meme Lord to Lightning Rod

Musk’s internet persona has played a significant role in his decline. Once considered witty and relatable for his memes and casual tone, his social media activity is now increasingly seen as erratic, combative, and mean-spirited.

https://smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/financialpost/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/bernie-sanders-elon-musk-1115.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&h=216&sig=oSLrjByug1QM2UbOZRVh-Q
Just in the last six months, he:

Mocked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with a meme during a Russian missile strike.

Made light of labor union strikes in Detroit by tweeting, “Let the robots take over already.”

Public intellectuals, including Yuval Noah Harari and Fareed Zakaria, have commented that Musk’s “dissolution of credibility” is a case study in how unchecked egotism can undermine global trust in innovation.

Corporate Fallout: Tesla, SpaceX, and Beyond

The ripple effects of Musk’s plummeting popularity are being felt across his business empire:

Tesla has seen multiple institutional investors divest over ESG concerns and Musk’s political rhetoric. The stock dropped 17% year-to-date, underperforming the broader EV market.

SpaceX, while still the dominant launch provider, has faced criticism for prioritizing Pentagon contracts over civilian and scientific missions.

Neuralink remains under intense ethical scrutiny, especially following whistleblower allegations of unsafe brain-chip testing in animals and early human subjects.

xAI and X.com (formerly Twitter) continue to bleed users, advertisers, and regulatory goodwill, especially in the EU and Canada.

In a recent shareholders’ meeting, Musk defended his direction:

I’m not here to be liked. I’m here to build the future. If that makes me unpopular, so be it.”

But the market, and public trust, may not wait.

Public Backlash & Cultural Reassessment

On Reddit, TikTok, and YouTube, creators who once praised Musk now produce critical content dissecting his quotes, ethics, and business decisions. The popular YouTube tech analyst Marques Brownlee (MKBHD), who previously reviewed every Tesla model, recently declared:

“I don’t know what Musk stands for anymore—besides ego.”

Memes once lionizing Musk now mock his “wannabe Iron Man” image, replacing admiration with ridicule. Former employees have published Medium essays detailing a toxic culture of worship, volatility, and abrupt firings.

Even pop culture has shifted. A 2025 episode of South Park titled “The Mars Messiah” portrayed a thinly veiled Musk parody as a villain obsessed with colonizing other planets because Earthlings “no longer worship him.”

Is There a Path to Redemption?

Redemption in the public eye is not impossible—figures like Steve Jobs, Robert Downey Jr., and even Joe Biden have undergone major perception shifts over their careers.

But Musk’s path would require:

Meaningful Silence – Reducing inflammatory tweets and confrontational interviews.

Corporate Focus – Prioritizing product results over ideological messaging.

Apology or Acknowledgment – Addressing harm caused by his leadership choices, particularly in government roles.

A Break from Politics – Distancing himself from partisan entanglements that cloud his technological legacy.

Whether Musk is willing—or even interested—in that kind of transformation remains to be seen.

Conclusion: The Cost of Power Without Boundaries

Elon Musk’s favorability drop is not a sudden collapse—it is the result of cumulative, calculated risks. Once beloved for pushing the limits of science and business, he is now regarded by many as a cautionary tale: what happens when genius is left unchecked, and when influence is mistaken for invincibility.

Musk may still hold the reins of Tesla and the future of space travel. But for the first time in over a decade, the public is asking not “What will Musk do next?” but At what cost?”