In a world where technology and privacy are increasingly intertwined, few figures embody this tension as vividly as Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur behind Tesla, SpaceX, and X. Known for his bold innovations and polarizing public persona, Musk recently found himself at the center of a startling revelation: a tracking device was allegedly discovered on one of his personal vehicles. The claim, which surfaced in late 2022, sent shockwaves through social media and news outlets, raising questions about privacy, security, and the lengths to which individuals or entities might go to monitor one of the world’s most influential figures. This article delves into the incident, its implications, and the broader context of surveillance in the life of a tech titan.
The Incident: A Tracking Device Discovered
In December 2022, reports emerged that a tracking device had been found on a vehicle associated with Elon Musk, sparking widespread speculation. The incident came to public attention when Musk took to X, the social media platform he owns, to comment on a disturbing event involving his then two-year-old son, X Æ A-12. Musk alleged that a “crazy stalker” had followed a car carrying his son, mistakenly believing Musk was inside. The incident occurred in South Pasadena, California, and was reported as an “assault with a deadly weapon involving a vehicle,” with a member of Musk’s security team labeled as a suspect by local police. Notably, the police statement clarified that the victim did not identify the suspect or suggest the altercation was targeted, casting some ambiguity over the event.
Amid this incident, Musk pointed to the Twitter account ElonJet, operated by Jack Sweeney, a young programmer who used publicly available flight data to track Musk’s private jet movements. Musk suggested that the real-time location data shared by ElonJet could have contributed to the incident, describing it as “basically assassination coordinates.” He announced legal action against Sweeney and temporarily banned the ElonJet account, along with those of several journalists who reported on the story, citing violations of Twitter’s policies on sharing real-time location information.
While Musk’s comments focused on ElonJet, no definitive evidence linked the tracking device on his car to Sweeney or his flight-tracking activities. Sweeney himself clarified that he had never shared information about Musk’s cars or family members, only his private jet flights, which are sourced from public aviation records. The Los Angeles Police Department’s stalking investigations unit also found no evidence connecting the alleged stalker to ElonJet. This raised questions about whether the tracking device was real, who might have placed it, and what its purpose was.
The Context: Musk’s High-Profile Life and Privacy Concerns
Elon Musk’s life is anything but private. As the world’s richest person, with a net worth estimated at $424.7 billion as of May 2025, Musk’s every move is scrutinized. His leadership of Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI, coupled with his role as a political influencer in the United States, makes him a prime target for both admirers and adversaries. Musk’s acquisition of Twitter (now X) in 2022 for $44 billion and his subsequent political activities, including his support for Donald Trump in the 2024 election and his brief tenure in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), have only heightened his visibility.
This visibility comes with risks. Musk’s heavy use of private jets, tracked by ElonJet and criticized for their environmental impact, has long been a point of contention. In 2021, Musk offered Sweeney $5,000 to delete the ElonJet account, which Sweeney countered with a request for $50,000 or an internship at one of Musk’s companies. The account’s persistence, even after Musk implemented a federal privacy program to obscure his jet’s transponder data, underscores the challenges of maintaining privacy in the digital age.
The discovery of a tracking device on Musk’s car—if true—adds a new layer to these concerns. Unlike flight data, which is publicly accessible, a physical tracking device suggests a deliberate and potentially malicious attempt to monitor Musk’s movements. Such devices, often small GPS trackers, can be discreetly attached to vehicles and used to collect real-time location data. The implications are serious: a high-profile individual like Musk could be vulnerable to stalking, corporate espionage, or even physical harm.
The Investigation: What We Know and What We Don’t
Details about the alleged tracking device remain sparse. Musk’s public statements focused on the stalking incident involving his son rather than the device itself, and no official confirmation has emerged regarding its discovery or origin. The South Pasadena police investigation described the incident as a vehicle-related altercation, with no clear indication that a tracking device was involved. This lack of clarity has fueled speculation, with some questioning whether the device was a fabrication or exaggeration to justify Musk’s actions against ElonJet and critical journalists.
Jack Sweeney, the operator of ElonJet, has maintained that his tracking is limited to flight data and poses no direct threat to Musk’s safety. After the account’s suspension on Twitter, Sweeney moved to other platforms, including Mastodon, and launched ElonJetNextDay, which shares flight data with a 24-hour delay to comply with X’s updated policies. Meta later suspended Sweeney’s jet-tracking accounts on Instagram, Threads, and Facebook in October 2024, citing policy violations, though no specific reasons were provided. These actions highlight the ongoing tension between public data usage and personal privacy.
The absence of concrete evidence about the tracking device leaves several possibilities open. It could have been placed by a private individual, a competitor, or even a state actor seeking to monitor Musk’s activities. Alternatively, the claim could be part of a broader narrative to deflect criticism from Musk’s controversial decisions, such as his handling of X or his political engagements. Without official documentation or a detailed investigation, the truth remains elusive.
The Bigger Picture: Surveillance and Power
The alleged discovery of a tracking device on Musk’s car raises broader questions about surveillance in the modern era. For someone like Musk, who champions technologies like Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software and SpaceX’s Starlink, the irony of being a potential target of surveillance is stark. Tesla itself collects vast amounts of data from its vehicles, which Musk has touted as a means to improve autonomous driving and revolutionize transportation. Yet, as The Guardian reported, Tesla’s “black box” data recorders are not fireproof, and the company has been criticized for withholding crash data, raising questions about transparency and accountability.
Musk’s public feud with ElonJet also underscores the double-edged nature of technology. While Musk advocates for free speech and open access to information on X, he has taken steps to curb tracking of his own movements, citing safety concerns. This contradiction reflects a broader societal debate: where is the line between public interest and personal privacy? For high-profile figures, this line is often blurred, as their actions impact millions, yet they remain entitled to basic security.
The incident also highlights the vulnerabilities of even the most powerful individuals. Musk’s wealth and influence cannot fully shield him from the risks of surveillance, whether through physical devices or digital tracking. In a 2022 interview with The Guardian, Jack Sweeney noted that his tracking accounts, which include celebrities like Drake and Mark Cuban, are driven by public interest in “prominent or interesting” figures. This fascination with celebrity movements, amplified by social media, creates a culture where privacy is increasingly difficult to maintain.
Implications for Musk and Beyond
For Elon Musk, the alleged tracking device incident is a reminder of the personal risks tied to his public persona. His decision to ban ElonJet and suspend journalists’ accounts drew accusations of hypocrisy, given his stated commitment to free speech. The backlash further strained his relationship with Tesla’s progressive customer base, contributing to a reported 30% drop in Tesla stock since January 2025.
Beyond Musk, the incident underscores the growing prevalence of surveillance technologies. GPS trackers are widely available and inexpensive, making them accessible to anyone from private investigators to obsessive fans. For corporations like Tesla, which rely on data-driven innovation, the challenge is to balance technological advancement with ethical considerations. Musk’s claim that Tesla’s autonomous driving technology will soon make driverless taxis ubiquitous raises further questions about how such systems could be exploited for surveillance.
The truth behind the tracking device remains uncertain, leaving Musk—and the public—grappling with unanswered questions. Was it a genuine threat, a misunderstanding, or a strategic move to shift focus from other controversies? Whatever the case, the incident serves as a stark reminder that even the world’s richest person cannot escape the watchful eyes of a hyper-connected world.
Conclusion
Elon Musk’s discovery of a tracking device on his car, if true, is a chilling chapter in his ongoing saga as a global influencer. It highlights the precarious balance between innovation, privacy, and security in an age where technology empowers both progress and intrusion. While the specifics of the incident remain murky, its implications resonate far beyond Musk himself, touching on issues of surveillance, data ethics, and the vulnerabilities of those who shape our future. As Musk continues to push the boundaries of technology, this episode serves as a sobering reminder that even visionaries are not immune to the risks of a world they helped create.
