Monuments to Elon Musk spring up at SpaceX's Starbase, sparking mixed reactions

At Starbase, the sprawling SpaceX complex near the US-Mexico border, several factions are commissioning monuments linked to Elon Musk. French metalworks firm Atelier Missor shared images of a 50-foot Prometheus statue in progress, describing the titan as a symbol of humanity's ambition and noting prior outreach to Musk. In contrast, Cards Against Humanity announced a campaign to fund a deliberately derisive monument, accusing SpaceX of ruining a riverfront parcel it bought in 2017 and raising about $150,000 from supporters.

Earlier, a crypto group behind the ElonRWA meme installed a crude likeness of Musk, which was later defaced with cuts to the face during nationwide protests. SpaceX did not respond to inquiries about any of the installations. The City of Starbase, incorporated in 2025, now hosts over 500 residents and thousands of workers, becoming a focal point for both admiration and criticism of Musk's ventures.