About 35 demonstrators gathered outside a Tesla dealership in Devon, Pennsylvania, on Saturday to protest a pay package that could make Elon Musk the world's first trillionaire. The event coincided with a nationwide 'No Trillionaires Day' mobilization criticizing extreme wealth inequality and Musk's political actions. Participants voiced concerns over social safety nets and authoritarianism amid Musk's recent controversies.
The demonstration took place on a grassy strip outside the Tesla dealership off Route 30 in Devon, a suburb about 15 miles west of Philadelphia. It was a weekly occurrence, drawing around 35 people on this Saturday morning, from 11 a.m. to noon. The protesters opposed the Tesla shareholders' approval earlier this month of a giant pay package for CEO Elon Musk, which could elevate his net worth to trillions if the company achieves ambitious targets like an $8.5 trillion market value and sales of a million humanoid robots.
Tom Gibbons, 71, a regular participant, called the deal 'appalling,' saying, 'What’s the point of having that much money? It’s just greed.' He added, 'People are starving or really having a hard time just meeting their basic economic needs, and there’s somebody who has more money than some countries. It’s a perfect illustration of inequality.'
The #TeslaTakedown protests began earlier this year in response to Musk's apparent Nazi salute at President Donald Trump's inauguration event, his White House prominence, and leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Lynn Hogben, 70, who wore an 'Oust Elon' pin and carried a 'Don’t Buy Swasticars' sign, stated, 'What Musk did to the country is horrible, and there needs to be consequences for that behavior.'
Since Musk's exit from DOGE and public fallout with Trump, the Devon group's size has varied, averaging 30 to 40 older participants from surrounding counties. Posters at the event condemned cuts to food assistance programs, Trump's immigration policies, threats to free speech, and demanded Justice Department files on Jeffrey Epstein. Drivers on the busy thruway offered honks of support, along with occasional fist pumps or thumbs-ups.
Musk has dismissed the dealership protests, claiming without evidence that participants are paid. Organizers Janet Gilbert and Cynthia Sherbin emphasized the event's role in showing resistance. Gilbert said, 'It shows people who go past that we aren’t just lying down and taking it. They see there is resistance.'