Kimbal Musk, the younger brother of Elon Musk, criticized President Donald Trump's tariffs in a post on X, formerly Twitter Monday, describing them as a "structural, permanent tax on the American consumer."
He also said that Trump is shaping up to be "the most high-tax American President in generations."
Kimbal Musk posted, "Even if he is successful in bringing jobs on shore through the tariff tax, prices will remain high and the tax on consumption will remain the form of higher prices because we are simply not as good at making all things. A tax on consumption also means less consumption. Which means less jobs. Which in turn leads to less consumption. And then even less jobs."
His post continued, "America has incredible strengths. We should play to those strengths, and not be forced to play to our weaknesses. Same with the rest of the world."
Trump signaled Monday that he has no intention of backing down from his sweeping tariff plans, despite speculation that rising market volatility might prompt a pause. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump dismissed the idea outright, even as he claimed multiple countries were eager to negotiate new trade agreements with the U.S.
Who is Kimbal Musk?
Kimbal Musk is an entrepreneur, restaurateur and philanthropist known for his work in sustainable food and urban farming. Born in South Africa and the youngest brother of billionaire Trump ally Elon Musk, he co-founded The Kitchen Restaurant Group, as well as nonprofit organizations such as Big Green and Square Roots, which focus on building community gardens and promoting local, healthy food systems.
In addition to his culinary ventures, Kimbal has served on the boards of Tesla and SpaceX.
Last month, Kimbal Musk sold $27 million worth of Tesla stock as the electric vehicle company faces financial turbulence. The Tesla CEO's sibling still owns a substantial amount of stock in the company.
Elon Musk was born to Maye Musk, a Canadian-South African model and dietitian, and Errol Musk, a South African electromechanical engineer, pilot, and sailor. He has two younger siblings: Kimbal, and Tosca Musk, a filmmaker and founder of the streaming service Passionflix.
— 𝙺𝚒𝚖𝚋𝚊𝚕 𝙼𝚞𝚜𝚔 🤠 (@kimbal) April 7, 2025Who would have thought that Trump was actually the most high tax American President in generations.
Through his tariff strategy, Trump has implemented a structural, permanent tax on the American consumer.
Even if he is successful in bringing jobs on shore through the tariff…
Elon Musk Posts Anti-Tariff Video
On Monday, Eon Musk shared a video criticizing tariffs as barriers to free trade, in a move that many be interpreted as a veiled jab at Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs.
The Tesla CEO and close Trump advisor, who has lost over $11 billion in net worth since the tariffs were announced, posted the video after criticizing one of Trump's top trade advisors and calling for a "tariff-free" relationship with other countries.
On Monday morning, Musk posted a clip of economist Milton Friedman to his social media site X, formerly Twitter. In the clip, Friedman explains how international markets and trade without barriers increase quality of life, using the example of a graphite pencil as a product that benefits from global supply chains and cooperation.
Update: 4/7/25, 6:01 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update: 4/7/25, 6:39 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
