Billionaire Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and X.com, and the leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has promised transparency in his efforts to reform government spending.
But on Wednesday night, February 12, a curious change in a U.S. State Department procurement document raised eyebrows. Tesla’s name was quietly removed following media reports of a $400 million contract for the company.
Tesla to ‘Armored Electric Vehicles’
The original document, timestamped December 23, 2024, initially referenced Tesla alongside BMW AG, whose armored X5 and X7 SUVs were also part of the deal. But now, as Bloomberg’s Dana Hull reported, Tesla has been replaced with a generic label: “armored electric vehicles.”
Musk never to shy away from controversy. He addressed the issue directly on his social media platform, X.com, tweeting: “I’m pretty sure Tesla isn’t getting $400M. No one mentioned it to me, at least.”
Despite the name swap, however, the contract’s massive $400 million price tag remains unchanged, as journalist Sawyer Merritt pointed out.
UPDATE: The U.S. Government has edited the public procurement forecast document tonight and it now no longer says the word Tesla. Instead, it now says “Armored Electric Vehicles.”
The contract amount is still listed as being for $400 million. Other details are the same. https://t.co/72Yksr7Xu8 pic.twitter.com/FoQDay8cn8
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) February 13, 2025
X.com Explodes with Reactions
The sudden edit has sparked a firestorm online, with speculation running wild.
Journalist Ryan Grim of DropSiteNews tweeted: “Tesla is forecast to win the largest State Dept contract of 2025 — $400 million for ‘Armored Tesla’ — according to procurement documents we reviewed. (And @elonmusk before you accuse us of doxxing, the docs are public).”
Former Irvington, New York Mayor Brian C. Smith added his take, calling out Musk directly: “The State Department amended a $400 million Armored Tesla budget item to remove the company name after reports emerged questioning Elon Musk’s role in government spending. Please at least try to hide your graft! @StateDep.”
And in a sarcastic twist, Jeremy Martinus quipped: “Breaking news: The government’s $400M Tesla contract is now labeled ‘Armored Electric Vehicles.’ Translation: ‘We’re not playing favorites, we just love stainless steel tanks that scream Mad Max chic.’”
What’s Really Going On?
The big question remains: Why was Tesla’s name scrubbed from the document? Was it an attempt to downplay concerns over a potential conflict of interest, given Musk’s deepening ties to government contracts? Or is this simply a bureaucratic clarification?
One thing is certain: Musk’s promises of transparency just met a serious test.
And with the conversation raging on X.com, this is a story that’s far from over.
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