Experts say that Elon Musk’s security team now functions like a mini Secret Service, and he receives protection akin to that of a head of state. At a recent Tesla event, the guest list was meticulously curated, with over 30 imposing security personnel stationed throughout the venue as Musk took the stage. The billionaire is consistently accompanied by a personal bodyguard from the private security firm Foundation Security.
As Musk’s wealth has grown, he has increasingly isolated himself with an armed security detail. With a net worth exceeding $240 billion, he frequently receives calls and messages from fans, stalkers, and death threats. Both Musk and his companies, Tesla and SpaceX, have spent millions annually on security. To tighten control, Musk even established Foundation Security, according to The New York Times.
Experts note that Musk’s security operations resemble those of a small-scale Secret Service. He is shadowed by 20 security professionals who survey escape routes and clear paths before his vehicles arrive, with a medical expert also on standby. Musk rarely is without his bodyguards, who accompany him even to the bathroom, as highlighted in a 2023 lawsuit filed by former employees concerning severance pay. Threats against him appear to be exaggerated.
“The likelihood of a lunatic trying to kill you is proportional to how often that lunatic hears your name,” Musk stated. “They hear my name so much that I’m an easy target for such lists.”
Musk’s current lifestyle starkly contrasts with other ultra-wealthy individuals. Warren E. Buffett, with a net worth of over $145 billion, has only employed a single bodyguard for years. Jack Dorsey, Musk’s predecessor at X, was known for walking around San Francisco without security.
This year, Tesla revealed it spent $2.4 million on Musk’s security in 2023, with $500,000 of that amount covering the first two months of 2024, more than five times the average expenditure in 2019. From 2015 to 2018, Musk spent an average of $145,000 per month on security.
Musk’s security team often handles personal errands, including car washing, picking up laundry, and even organizing a New Year’s Eve party in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, in 2015.
Musk’s security concerns gained attention in December 2022 when he revealed a stalker had jumped onto the vehicle carrying his son in Los Angeles. The South Pasadena Police Department later indicated that the suspect might have been a member of Musk’s security team.
In January 2023, Musk’s father expressed concern for his son’s safety despite the presence of “100 employees” for protection. He noted that Musk had upgraded his South African home’s security with armed guards, cameras, and electric fences.
Earlier, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, also garnered attention for receiving a $14 million annual security allowance, which includes enhancements in personnel, equipment, and residential security to ensure his and his family’s safety.
