Elon Musk Just Unveiled 5 Surprising Moves—Here’s Why Everyone’s Talking

Elon Musk’s whirlwind week underscores his outsized influence on everything from Wall Street to the launchpad. Return-to-Office Decree Re-energizes Tesla Bulls Posting to his social platform X over the weekend, Musk pledged to be “super focused” and “back to spending 24/7 at work,” a self-imposed return-to-office mandate that echoes the strict policy he demanded of Tesla employees in 2022. Investors applauded: Tesla shares jumped in early trading, snapping a two-week slide as traders bet the CEO’s renewed hands-on approach will accelerate long-delayed product rollouts such as the refreshed Model Y and full-self-driving v12. Starship Spins—but Clears Key Milestones At SpaceX’s Boca Chica site, the third integrated test of Starship roared beyond 110 km before the upper stage began a dramatic tumble, triggering the flight-termination system. Although the rocket was lost, the mission surpassed previous attempts by clearing max-Q and demonstrating new engine-gimbal software, inching Musk closer to his long-stated goal of launching cargo to Mars before the decade’s end. Engineers are already installing a reinforced hot-stage ring for the next flight, targeted “within six weeks,” according to internal memos seen by Reuters. Federal Judge Says Musk’s DOGE Influence Is “Permanent” Legal headwinds also resurfaced. In Washington, D.C., a district-court judge ruled that Musk’s sway over the meme cryptocurrency Dogecoin constitutes a “continuing and permanent” leadership role, allowing a class-action fraud suit to advance. The decision intensifies scrutiny of Musk’s Twitter-to-X posts that often jolt crypto markets and could expose him to expanded discovery. Political Pullback Signals Re-focus on Core Businesses Advisers say Musk is dialing down his once-constant commentary on U.S. politics after months of partisan flare-ups that threatened to alienate Tesla’s EV customer base. The pivot, they argue, is designed to reassure regulators and investors ahead of Tesla’s anticipated June shareholder vote on the long-delayed $56 billion compensation package. Why It Matters • Search volume for “Elon Musk return to office,” “Starship test flight,” and “Musk DOGE lawsuit” spiked this week, reflecting public fascination with the entrepreneur’s every move. • Tesla’s market cap rose by roughly $38 billion on Monday alone, a reminder that a single X post can swing fortunes across global exchanges. • Each incremental Starship success pressures rivals Blue Origin and Rocket Lab to accelerate heavy-lift timelines, reshaping the commercial-launch landscape. Looking Ahead Expect another wave of headlines in mid-June when Musk hosts SpaceX’s annual “Starbase Update,” where he is slated to reveal a revised Mars cargo timeline and potential Starlink IPO hints. Meanwhile, the DOGE case enters discovery next month, ensuring the billionaire’s courtroom schedule remains as crowded as his launch manifest.