Tech’s Political Storm: Why Vinod Khosla Is Urging Elon Musk’s Employees to Quit Tesla, SpaceX & X

Silicon Valley is getting caught in the middle of a politically divided group of tech leaders. Two billionaires are clashing over race, politics, and ideology. Vinod Khosla (Indian-American billionaire, famous venture capitalist, and co-founder of Sun Microsystems) accuses Musk of promoting white-centric thinking on 'X.' More specifically, accusing him of supporting “WAGA” (“White America Great Again”). 

He went too far, urging Tesla, SpaceX, and 'X' employees to resign and join his Khosla Ventures–backed companies. In 2026, politics has reached tech offices and their employees (very openly, happening now). So, what exactly went wrong? Did Elon Musk react to Khosla's accusations? Is the tech world becoming the new battleground for politics? For all that, learn more.

What Happened to Vinod Khosla vs. Elon Musk?

Vinod Khosla is one of the very few major tech leaders who's been vocal about opposing Trump and the MAGA (“Make America Great Again”) movement. Most big tech leaders in Silicon Valley are already moving closer to Donald Trump's MAGA movement. Therefore, Vinod Khosla is an outlier. His recent post on 'X' has started a firestorm. Here's what happened:

On January 27, Vinod Khosla wrote on 'X' that Elon Musk is promoting the idea that being white is under threat, race matters more than merit, and racism is being normalised. The most shocking part of the post is Khosla’s call to Musk’s employees.

He urged the non-white employees and 'decent white' employees to quit working at Musk's companies. He asked them to send their LinkedIn profiles and apply to Khosla Ventures–backed companies. So, the post wasn't just political criticism but also a talent recruitment move.

Why Did Khosla Accuse Musk of Racism?

Khosla dug out an old post by Musk from September 2025, where Musk wrote: “White people are a rapidly diminishing minority of the global population.” So, Khosla pointed to incendiary and racial issues rather than merit in Elon's posts. He also quoted an older post. Musk’s recent actions made the controversy bigger.

Elon has commented on immigration (he has repeatedly warned) that large-scale immigration could destabilise societies, harm public safety, strain economies, and damage social cohesion. He argued that his comments didn't amount to a racial reference, but critics have strongly disagreed. 

Recently (earlier this month), Elon has reacted to a post that suggested 'white men could face existential danger if they become a minority' with a “100” emoji. People considered this to be clear support for racism.  

International Backlash Against Elon Musk

Musk’s comments haven’t just caused issues in the US but also a huge international backlash. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called Elon's anti-immigration rally video "dangerous and inflammatory." However, there were no impositions of sanctions.

How Did Musk Respond to Racism Accusations?

Elon Musk says he strongly opposes discrimination of any kind and is against:

• Anti-Black laws
• Anti-white laws
• Any race-based targeting

“This is not about race—it’s about fairness and safety,” he said. But the critics say that his actions and words say otherwise.

Final Thoughts...

Khosla's supporters say that he is bravely calling out Musk's actions. And others say that his own message sounds racially charged. In between this clash, the employees are caught up. Many strongly believe that Silicon Valley is becoming more openly political and divided. For more updates on the same, keep in touch.