--- title: "Elon Musk Brags That He’s Paying More Taxes Than Anyone Else in History" description: "Tesla CEO Elon Musk is finally paying his taxes this year. \"For those wondering, I will pay over $11 billion in taxes this year,\" he tweeted." date: "2021-12-20" modified: "2021-12-20" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/elon-musk-taxes-history" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "taxes" --- # Elon Musk Brags That He’s Paying More Taxes Than Anyone Else in History ![Tesla CEO Elon Musk is finally paying his taxes this year. "For those wondering, I will pay over $11 billion in taxes this year," he tweeted.]() *\Image: Getty Images/Futurism\* Tesla CEO Elon Musk is finally paying his taxes this year — and he wants to be celebrated for his generosity! "For those wondering, I will pay over $11 billion in taxes this year," [Musk tweeted]() late Sunday night, in an apparent bid for a pat on the back for doing something most other Americans do every year. That amount may sound like a lot, but it still represents a tiny fraction of Musk's substantial net worth. In fact, Musk has [made almost $13 billion]() this fall just by selling Tesla stock. Critics say that Musk paying his fair share in taxes should be expected, not applauded, especially considering the amount of money his businesses have received from taxpayers over the years. The news comes after Musk and senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) had an exchange on Twitter that got ugly. Last week, Warren [accused]() Musk of abusing a "rigged tax code" and "freeloading off everyone else." Unsurprisingly, Musk didn't take kindly to the accusations, despite the fact that Musk has more or less been [doing just that]() for years. "And if you opened your eyes for 2 seconds, you would realize I will pay more taxes than any American in history this year," [Musk whined]() in response. "Don’t spend it all at once... oh wait you did already," he added. Investors weren't impressed with the spat. Musk [was even hit with a lawsuit]() over the weekend, arguing that his reckless tweets violated a 2019 agreement with securities regulators. Musk has clearly struggled coming to terms with the fact that Americans have to pay taxes every year. He has repeatedly [voiced his discontent]() with the mere concept of taxation. In his eyes, governments are terrible at spending money while businesses have a much better idea of where to allocate funds. "Who is best at capital allocation — government or entrepreneurs — is indeed what it comes down to," [he argued]() in a tweet last month. Now, though, Musk may be realizing that perhaps it's better to pay his bill after all — or at least, [the Twitter poll he launched last month]() may have given him the idea. Besides, $11 billion is still chump change for the richest man in the world. **READ MORE:** [Elon Musk Says He Will Pay More Than $11 Billion in Taxes This Year]() \[*The Wall Street Journal*\] **More on the saga:** *[TESLA SUED OVER ELON MUSK’S FEUD WITH ELIZABETH WARREN]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()