Tesla CEO Elon Musk Calls for ‘Enhanced’ Security After Charlie Kirk’s Assassination

Following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Elon Musk has acknowledged the need for enhanced security, addressing shareholder concerns about his personal safety. Tesla reportedly spent $3.3 million on Musk's protection between January 2024 and February 2025, a figure significantly lower than the security budgets of other tech CEOs, including Mark Zuckerberg.

Musk highlighted that his security measures must be "enhanced" after the assassination of Trump's aide and far-right activist Charlie Kirk, raising awareness about threats to high-profile figures. Tesla's spending on Musk's security increased from $2.9 million the previous year, though it remains far below the level other tech companies allocate for their leaders.

For context, Charlie Kirk was a far-right political activist and aide to Donald Trump. He co-founded Turning Point USA, a nonprofit organisation launched in 2012 when he was just 18 years old.

Tesla Shareholder Pushes for Increased Security

Tesla investor Alexandra Merz, known on social media as TeslaBoomerMama, urged the company's board to increase Musk's security budget. Sharing a chart of current spending, she wrote on X:

"Tesla and the Board, can you please increase this drastically? We wrote you a shareholder letter more than a year ago."

Musk responded directly, stating:

"Definitely need to enhance security."

Reports indicate Musk employs Gavin de Becker and Associates for personal protection and has also established his own security firm, Foundation Security. Some of the protection costs are shared across his businesses, including Tesla and SpaceX.

How Other Tech Companies Spend on CEO Security

While Tesla spends $3.3 million annually on Musk's protection, this is significantly lower than that of other tech giants:

• Meta spends $23.4 million on CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
• Apple allocates approximately $820,000 annually for Tim Cook's security.
• Amazon spends $1.6 million to protect founder Jeff Bezos.

Despite the relatively minor budget, Musk has faced increasing threats, particularly related to his political views. A report from Teslarati noted that threats against Musk spiked on platforms like Reddit and Bluesky following Kirk's assassination.