Elon Musk Fires Back At AOC After 'Billionaire Conman' Remark, Jokes He's A 'Trillionaire'

Over the weekend, Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk fired back at Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).

AOC Criticism Sparks Online Debate

Musk was responding to an edited video of AOC's comments from a 2025 congressional hearing, during which she called the tech mogul a "billionaire conman."

The Tesla CEO replied by jokingly upgrading his title to "*trillionaire" as his net worth climbs.

The remarks from AOC originally came during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on Musk's role leading DOGE, where she argued he profited from government subsidies despite limited expertise.

Musk, who left DOGE in May 2025, responded to an edited video juxtaposing her criticism with highlights of his Tesla and SpaceX achievements.

Wealth Surge Driven By Tesla And SpaceX

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Musk's net worth currently sits at $662 billion, up $42.3 billion year-to-date. He is the only one in the top-five billionaires to see a gain this year.

Analysts point to the anticipated SpaceX IPO, with a potential $1.75 trillion valuation, as a major driver of his wealth trajectory reaching the trillionaire status.

Prediction market Kalshi suggests Musk could hit the $1 trillion mark before 2027, with an 88% chance before 2030.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Photo courtesy: Frederic Legrand – COMEO from Shutterstock