London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 23, 2026

Elon Musk Says He's 'Sold Enough Stock' to Reach 10% Sale Goal, Slams California For 'Overtaxation'

Elon Musk Says He's 'Sold Enough Stock' to Reach 10% Sale Goal, Slams California For 'Overtaxation'

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has been criticised recently over his taxes, as some Democrats demand that his impressive wealth be taxed more. The billionaire has been disputing such demands, claiming on Sunday that he will be paying "over $11 billion" in taxes in 2021.

Elon Musk has said he's sold "enough stocks" to cover his goal of selling 10% of his shares in Tesla Inc., according to an interview with the satirical outlet The Babylon Bee.

"I sold enough stock to get to around 10% plus the option-exercise stuff, and I tried to be extremely literal here", he told the outlet.


His decision to sell the stocks dates back to November when the billionaire took to Twitter to create polls to ask netizens whether he should sell.

Musk exercised 2 million more options and sold nearly 584,000 more Tesla shares Tuesday, having sold some 13.5 million shares over the past month, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. As estimated by Market Watch, it is slightly shy of the 17 million shares that constituted his 10% stake as of early November when he asked Twitter's advice on the 10% sale.

After the said polls, Tesla shares lost about a quarter of their value. Having sold the stock, Musk used 8.06 million of the 13.5 million to pay taxes.

Speaking about taxes, Musk lashed out at the state of California for its taxation requirements, saying that it is now "increasingly difficult to get things done" in the Golden State.

"California used to be the land of opportunity and now it is...becoming more so the land of sort of overregulation, overlitigation, overtaxation", Musk told The Babylon Bee.


On Sunday, the businessman shared with Twitter the sum of the taxes he claimed he will be paying in 2021: "over $11 billion". The statement comes as Musk became the target of criticism by politicians and activists demanding he pay his "fair share" of taxes. The billionaire, however, has actively disputed such demands, even engaging in verbal clashes with top Democrats like Elizabeth Warren.

After the latter called to change the country's "rigged tax code" so that "the Person of the Year" (Musk earlier received the title from Time magazine) pays more taxes, Musk branded her "Senator Karen".

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Piddington Residents Back Symbolic Independence Vote Over Asylum Accommodation Plan
Reform UK Names Helen Jenner as New Leader in Wales
England Expands Devolution of Transport, Skills and Economic Development Powers
Liberal Democrats Call for Temporary Fuel Duty Cut to Ease Cost-of-Living Pressure
UK Farmers Warn Drought Has Caused Crop Failures and Reduced Harvests
UK Fixed Mortgage Rates Approach 6% as Lenders Raise Borrowing Costs
YouGov Poll Puts Labour at 23% With Conservatives and Reform UK on 21%
Badenoch Presses Burnham to Increase Defence Spending and Cut Welfare Costs
UK Military Figures Warn of Growing Threats to Undersea Infrastructure and National Readiness
BP Moves Ahead With Sale of UK North Sea Oil and Gas Business
UK and ASEAN Endorse New Framework for Trade and Economic Cooperation
UK Consumer Confidence Falls to Three-Year Low as Borrowing Costs and Job Concerns Rise
UK Inflation Rises to 3.1% as Motor Fuel Costs Push Prices Higher
Bank of England Sets Multi-Year Plan to Wind Down Quantitative Easing Holdings
UK Borrowing Rises to £18.3 Billion in August Ahead of October Budget
Michelin Guide Faces Industry Questions Over Restaurant Inspection Coverage
English Woodlands Face Renewed Weather Stress From Dry Conditions and Strong Winds
Research Finds Extensive Alcohol, Gambling and Unhealthy Food Branding During 2026 World Cup
Five Charged After Newborn Baby Dies From Stab Wounds in Sheffield
BT Could Reap £2 Billion From Recycling Copper as Full-Fibre Network Expands
FCA Urges Young Adults to Trace £1.5 Billion in Unclaimed Child Trust Funds
Reform UK Names Helen Jenner as New Leader in Wales After Dan Thomas Steps Down
Resolution Foundation Calls for Broad-Based Tax Rises to Fund Higher UK Defence Spending
Ed Davey Calls for Global Treaty to Halt Development of Super-Intelligent AI
Scotland Consults on Legal Price Caps for Essential Foods
NHS Productivity Reforms Could Prevent More Than 20,000 Early Deaths a Year, Report Says
United Kingdom and ASEAN Deepen Trade and Investment Cooperation
United Kingdom Deploys RAF Refuelling Support to Saudi Arabia After Houthi Attacks
UK Fiscal Headroom Shrinks as Higher Borrowing Costs Complicate Autumn Budget
UK Public Borrowing Jumps to £18.3 Billion in August, Raising Pressure Before Budget
Andy Burnham Reaffirms UK Net-Zero Target With £30 Million Community Energy Fund
Scottish Labour Leader Backs Rosebank and Jackdaw North Sea Projects
UK Consumer Confidence Falls to Three-Year Low
UK Diesel Prices Approach £2 a Litre as Global Supply Shortages Intensify
Chiltern Railways Returns to Public Ownership as UK Rail Nationalisation Advances
British Museum Faces Questions Over Peter Thiel’s Private Bayeux Tapestry Viewing
Earl Spencer Memoir Excerpts Renew Public Debate Over Diana’s Death
Liberal Democrats Gather in Brighton for Autumn Conference
Mothercare Shares Plunge as Middle East Store Closures Threaten Long-Term Solvency
Kent Police Treat Folkestone Hotel Fire as Suspicious
Caribbean Governments Advance Reparations Campaign Seeking Engagement With Britain
Scottish Labour Leader Backs Rosebank and Jackdaw North Sea Projects
FCA Urges Young Adults to Trace £1.5 Billion in Unclaimed Child Trust Funds
UK Competition Regulator Opens Inquiry Into McCormick-Unilever Foods Deal
Public Inquiry Into Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys Mental Health Failings Set to Begin
Nigel Farage Looks to US Immigration Enforcement Model for UK Border Policy
Chiltern Railways Moves Into Public Ownership
Security Review Raises Concerns Over Sensitive UK Police Data Stored on Microsoft Cloud
Burnham Government Warns of Difficult Autumn Budget as Fiscal Headroom Narrows
Bank of England Holds Rates at 3.75% as Inflation Rises to 3.1%
×