Tesla revealed in a regulatory filing that it spent $400,000 advertising on X in 2024, but its commitment to Elon Musk’s social media platform appears to be waning. In the first two months of 2025, Tesla spent just $10,000 on X ads, putting it on track to spend only $60,000 this year unless that figure increases sharply. By comparison, it had already spent $200,000 by February last year.
Tesla only began experimenting with advertising in 2023 after shareholder pressure, with ads appearing across Google, YouTube, and X. While its spending on X has slowed, Google’s ad transparency database still shows around 700 active Tesla campaigns across Search and YouTube.
Business Across Musk’s Empire
The filing also disclosed other financial ties between Musk’s companies. Tesla paid SpaceX $800,000 in 2024 for use of a private jet, though just $40,000 so far this year, suggesting scaled-back use. Protecting Musk also comes at a steep cost: Tesla paid a Musk-owned security firm $2.8 million last year, up from $2.4 million in 2023, and has already paid $500,000 in 2025.
Meanwhile, Musk’s AI startup xAI became Tesla’s biggest customer, paying $198.3 million in 2024 for Megapack battery systems at its Tennessee data center and another $36.8 million in early 2025. Tesla also paid $300,000 to Kimbal Musk’s drone company for a show at its “We, Robot” event last October.
Despite the decline in X spending, Tesla continues to invest in broader digital advertising, especially on Google properties, as competition in the EV market intensifies and demand shows signs of cooling.
What The Author Thinks
Tesla’s shrinking ad spend on X shows a pragmatic shift. Musk may want to promote his own platform, but Tesla can’t afford to waste marketing dollars where results don’t match expectations. If sales remain soft, the company will likely put its money into proven ad channels instead of propping up X.
Featured image credit: Heute
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