- Elon Musk thinks Austin, Texas, is the next big thing.
- The city will be the “biggest expansion city” the United States has had in 50 years, he said on Joe Rogan’s podcast.
- Tesla’s CEO moved to Texas after discussions with California public health officials.
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It’s no secret that Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, is in California.
Last summer, Musk chose Austin, Texas, as the location for a $ 1 billion factory that will build the Cybertruck, the car’s long-awaited electric pickup. And in December, he confirmed rumors that he is moving from Los Angeles to Lone Star State.
During an interview with the podcast “The Joe Rogan Experience” that came out on Thursday, Musk said he thinks Austin has enormous potential in addition to hosting him and his new factory.
“It will be the largest expansion city that America has seen in at least 50 years,” said Musk. “Mega boom.”
The CEO said Tesla chose Austin as the location for Tesla’s next US plant because “Austin is a bit like mini California”. According to Musk, he asked the Tesla team in California what their primary choice for a new plant would be – where they would like to spend time – and “number one choice was Austin.”
Read More: Elon Musk and other tech powers are migrating to Texas, taking an already crazy housing market to new heights. Take a look inside Austin, which is fast becoming the next Silicon Valley.
Musk announced his move to Texas after public discussions in 2020 with California public health officials over the COVID-19 restrictions that temporarily closed Tesla’s plant in Fremont, California. “Tesla will now move its headquarters and future programs to Texas / Nevada immediately,” he tweeted last May, during a disagreement with local authorities.
During an April liaison with investors, Musk made a speech criticizing the California-based shelter measures as “fascists” and saying that authorities are “forcibly arresting” people in their homes.
More flexible government regulations – along with no state income taxes – seem to be a clear incentive for Musk to move to Texas. But the billionaire said the West Coasters wave moving to Austin should be careful not to change the city too much.
“I think we need to make sure that … people who move from California here do not inadvertently recreate the problems that led them to move,” said Musk during Thursday’s interview.
An increasing number of business leaders and companies have moved from traditional centers like Silicon Valley to Texas, as the pandemic has forced many people to work remotely.
Late last year, software giant Oracle said it would move its headquarters from California to Austin. Dropbox CEO Drew Houston is reportedly moving to the city as well, and Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale said he would move his venture capital firm, 8VC, there as well.