Elon Musk hits back at Vinod Khosla after “WAGA” accusation

This week, Tesla and SpaceX’s CEO Elon Musk found himself in a fierce online dispute with venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, spotlighting the growing political rifts within Silicon Valley. The confrontation unfolded on Musk’s social media platform, X, when Khosla accused him of championing a racially exclusive vision for America. Khosla’s comments were aimed at encouraging non-white employees at Tesla, X, and SpaceX, as well as what he referred to as "decent white" workers, to leave their positions and explore opportunities at firms associated with his venture capital company, Khosla Ventures. He criticized the “Make America Great Again” movement, coining a term he called “WAGA,” which stands for “White America Great Again,” suggesting that Musk’s viewpoints align with this ideology. The argument was sparked by a post from Musk made in late 2025, which resurfaced recently. In that post, he remarked on the diminishing proportion of white people in the global population. Khosla contended that such statements prioritize race over merit, warning that the tech industry is undergoing a significant “moral test.” He accused Musk of framing racism as an acceptable perspective. In retaliation, Musk dismissed Khosla’s allegations, referencing a past incident where Khosla attempted to limit public access to a beach near his residence, questioning Khosla’s own integrity. Musk also highlighted his personal life, mentioning that his partner, Shivon Zilis, is of Indian descent and that their eldest son’s middle name, Sekhar, honors the renowned Indian-American astrophysicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. This public clash reveals the increasing divide among technology leaders regarding issues of immigration, race, and the influence of Big Tech on society, as the discourse in Silicon Valley becomes more politically charged and fragmented.