During a recent episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk fumbled through an awkward exchange when pressed on why he considers New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani a “swindler.”
Joe Rogan kicked off the moment with a pointed question: “When you say Mamdani’s a swindler. I know he has a bunch of fake accents that he used to use, and you know, but what else has he done that makes him a swindler?”
Musk paused, visibly uncomfortable. “Uhm… Well, I guess if you say, what, I mean, if you say to any audience whatever that audience wants to hear instead of… instead of having a consistent message, I would say that that is a swindling thing to do,” Musk said. “And uhm… Yeah… yeah… but he is, he is charismatic.”
It was a clumsy answer, though not out of character for Musk, who often mumbles and stumbles through unscripted exchanges.
And it came just days before Mamdani’s surprise win in the New York City mayoral election, an upset that many billionaires, like Musk, had hoped wouldn’t happen. But that wasn’t the end of it.
He added: “I mean, hopefully this, the stuff he’s said, you know, about government takeovers of… of like that all the stores should be the government basically.”
Rogan cut in to correct him: “I don’t think he said that. I think he said government… they want to do government supermarkets, some state-run or city-run supermarkets.”
It’s the kind of exaggeration Musk frequently amplifies on a daily basis on his social media platform X, where he often spreads or engages with misleading claims about political figures he disagrees with.
Musk’s Problem With Mamdani
While Musk didn’t elaborate further on Mamdani’s record, the subtext is obvious: Mamdani represents the kind of anti-corporate, progressive politics that stands in stark contrast to Musk’s business interests and ideology.
Mamdani has been a vocal critic of corporate subsidies and public-private deals, the exact kind of arrangements that helped Musk build his empire.
His win signals a broader shift toward economic populism in local government, something Musk has repeatedly criticized.
The tension isn’t just political. It’s also personal, especially when considering Musk’s longstanding ties with Mamdani’s opponent, Andrew Cuomo.
Musk and Cuomo: A Billion-Dollar Relationship
As governor of New York, Cuomo approved nearly $1 billion in taxpayer-funded subsidies to support SolarCity, a company chaired by Musk and run by his cousin.
The company was later absorbed by Tesla. The massive spending package was part of Cuomo’s “Buffalo Billion” economic development plan.
In theory, the money would create 1,460 high-paying manufacturing jobs in Buffalo. In practice, it created far fewer, and mostly entry-level positions.
An audit by the state comptroller found the project returned just 54 cents for every taxpayer dollar spent.
Nonetheless, Cuomo continued to defend the deal, even after it became tied to a major corruption scandal involving his top aides.
Cuomo also pitched Tesla on outfitting New York City subway cars with sensor technology, praising the company’s “outside the box” thinking.
“If that’s possible, why isn’t it possible on a subway car? That’s my question to Mr. Musk and Tesla,” Cuomo said at the time.
Though Tesla declined to participate, Cuomo remained optimistic. “Tesla is good news — all this is good news,” he said in 2019.
Critics Say the Deal Was a Flop
State Sen. Zellnor Myrie, one of Cuomo’s Democratic opponents, slammed the arrangement. “Big promises that were made, many jobs that were to come that have not materialized and that have only gone to the benefit of Elon Musk,” he said.
“New Yorkers need to be reminded of the sweetheart deal that was given to Elon Musk by Andrew Cuomo.”
Assemblymember Pat Burke, who represents South Buffalo, was even more blunt. He called the entire project “a boondoggle.”
Despite the criticism, Musk benefited immensely from the arrangement. And with Mamdani now in power, there’s a real chance the city could push back hard against similar corporate subsidies in the future.
Meanwhile, Tesla Shareholders Just Gave Musk a $1 Trillion Payday
Just a couple of days after the JRE interview aired, Tesla shareholders voted to approve a pay package for Musk worth up to $1 trillion.
The package grants him 208 million Tesla shares and effectively locks him into a leadership role for the next decade. It passed despite opposition from major investors, pension funds, and advisory firms like Glass Lewis and ISS.
Critics say the deal massively dilutes shareholder power and was only passed after an aggressive campaign by Tesla, which even involved calling individual shareholders with only one share to sway their votes.
“One may (rightly) look at these votes and wonder why any rational person would vote to give themselves less power,” wrote Electrek’s Jameson Dow. “The behavior of the company’s CEO has only gotten worse.”
Shareholders also voted down proposals to strengthen child labor audits and sustainability oversight, while continuing to block accountability mechanisms unless shareholders hold tens of billions in stock.
The Larger Picture
Musk’s awkward critique of Mamdani and simultaneous win at the Tesla shareholder meeting highlight a growing divide between corporate power and public sentiment.
On one hand, he continues to gain control and wealth within the private sector. On the other, politicians like Mamdani are gaining ground by pushing back against exactly those types of deals.
Musk may be charismatic (to some), as he himself admitted Mamdani is. But on Rogan’s show, it was clear that when pressed on what exactly makes Mamdani a “swindler,” he didn’t have much to say beyond, “Uhhhhhhhh….”
That silence might end up saying more than Musk intended.
IMAGE CREDIT: “Elon Musk” by Gage Skidmore, via Flickr. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Image adjusted for layout.