Elon Musk’s Empire Faces Reputation Crisis in 2025
In recent years, Elon Musk has been hailed as a visionary, a pioneer in the electric vehicle and aerospace industries through his leadership at Tesla and SpaceX. However, in a dramatic turn of events, 2025 marks a critical downturn in the public perception of both companies—and Musk himself. The latest data from the Axios Harris Poll 1 s
A Sharp Fall in Reputation Rankings
According to the 2025 Axios Harris Poll 100, both Tesla and SpaceX have experienced steep drops in public reputation. Tesla, which ranked an impressive 8th in 2023, plummeted to 95th in 2025. SpaceX suffered a similar fate, falling from 5th place to 86th. This erosion of reputation is not only alarming but also unprecedented for companies once regarded as beacons of innovation and progress.
Such rankings are not arbitrary; the survey considers a range of reputation drivers, including trust, ethics, products and services, and citizenship. The dramatic falls suggest a significant shift in how the public views Musk’s companies—not just in performance, but in values.
Product Depreciation: The Cybertruck Problem
Contributing to Tesla’s reputational troubles is the poor market performance of the highly anticipated Cybertruck. Once lauded as a revolutionary vehicle, the Cybertruck has seen an unexpected and swift depreciation. Reports indicate that Tesla is offering trade-in values of only 34% to 39% of the original purchase price for Cybertrucks with as little as 6,000 miles on the odometer. This equates to a 45% depreciation—a rate more commonly associated with aging luxury vehicles, not state-of-the-art electric trucks.
Such rapid depreciation undermines consumer confidence and raises concerns about Tesla’s long-term value proposition. For a company that built its name on premium quality and innovation, this kind of market response is particularly damaging.
Elon Musk’s Deteriorating Public Image
Beyond product issues, Musk himself has become a liability to his brands. Once admired as a bold, rebellious entrepreneur willing to challenge the status quo, Musk’s persona has morphed into something far more polarizing. His public behavior and increasingly right-leaning political views have alienated many of his once-loyal supporters. What was once seen as “rebel genius” behavior is now viewed by a growing portion of the public as reckless and socially disruptive.
The same image that once helped Musk break traditional molds now appears to be contributing to the decline of his companies. Critics argue that Musk’s antics and political stances reflect poorly on Tesla and SpaceX, both of which are now struggling with their perceived roles in society.
Ethics, Citizenship, and the Business Cost
The reputational damage extends beyond Musk’s personal brand and is having tangible effects on how people view the ethics and corporate citizenship of his businesses. In the latest Axios Harris Poll, Tesla narrowly avoided falling into the bottom five companies in terms of ethical conduct and societal responsibility. This indicates that public trust in Tesla as a socially responsible company is eroding rapidly.
This reputational decline could have serious implications for recruitment, customer loyalty, and even regulatory scrutiny. In an era where corporate values increasingly influence consumer behavior and investment decisions, Tesla’s fall from grace may hurt more than just public opinion—it could impact the company’s financial performance as well.
Measuring the Fall: Axios Harris Poll 100
The Axios Harris Poll 100 is considered a reliable barometer of corporate reputation in the United States. Each year, it evaluates the 100 most visible companies based on interviews with a nationally representative sample of Americans. The survey assesses companies on nine dimensions, including vision, culture, trust, and growth. For Tesla and SpaceX to fall so dramatically in such rankings is not just a media story—it’s a reflection of a growing public consensus.
The 2025 results are a clear signal that brand loyalty is not guaranteed, even for companies associated with technological progress and innovation. If public sentiment continues on this trajectory, Musk’s companies may face increasing challenges in maintaining their market positions.
Conclusion
Elon Musk once captivated the world with his ambition and technological daring. Yet, in 2025, the tide appears to have turned. With plunging reputation rankings, depreciating products, and mounting criticism of Musk’s leadership, Tesla and SpaceX are now confronting the harsh reality of public perception. How they respond to this reputational crisis may determine whether they can recover their former status—or continue their decline into cautionary tales of lost public trust.
