- Elon Musk calls Ro Khanna ‘robber’ over viral wealth and trading claims.
- Ro Khanna denies the claims, says Elon Musk is trying to silence criticism, and demands a debate.
- Elizabeth Warren pushes wealth tax, but economist Peter Schiff disagrees.
Trillionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has called U.S. Representative Ro Khanna a “Robber” on X amid ongoing debate on politicians’ wealth and taxation.
Musk’s comment referenced allegations about Khanna’s family’s investment activities and the dramatic growth in his household wealth.
Musk Questions Khanna’s Wealth Growth
Musk responded to a viral post claiming Khanna’s household wealth rose from an estimated $27 million-$46 million to around $232.7 million.
The post also alleged that Khanna’s family carried out 38,666 trades worth a combined $631 million since he entered Congress. According to the claims, this made him the most active Democratic trader in House history.
Additional allegations pointed to a 2022 investigation that found a 15% overlap between Khanna’s legislative work and his family’s stock holdings. The post also cited AI investments that beat the S&P 500 by more than 112% between January 2024 and April 2026. Among them was a 143% gain in NVIDIA shares through his wife’s trust.
Essentially, the post pushed accusations of insider trading against Khanna.
Khanna Reacts
Khanna responded with a video on X, accusing Musk of trying to silence criticism. The California Democrat said Musk had threatened legal action and called for the Justice Department to imprison him.
Khanna said those comments came after he cited an academic study that linked spending cuts associated with Musk’s government-efficiency efforts to severe humanitarian consequences overseas.
Khanna rejected the allegations and challenged Musk to a public debate. He said he supports free speech and would not be intimidated by legal threats.
He also pointed to previous occasions when he opposed powerful interests, arguing that his criticism of Musk would continue.
Wealth Tax Debate
Meanwhile, the dispute has unfolded alongside renewed calls from lawmakers to tax extreme wealth.
Senator Elizabeth Warren said that billionaires continue to amass enormous fortunes while many Americans struggle with living costs. She said a wealth tax could help fund programs to reduce expenses for working families.
Economist Peter Schiff disagreed. He argued that wealthy individuals already pay more than their fair share of taxes and that entrepreneurs create value through innovation. Schiff said government spending, rather than billionaires, is a major driver of rising costs.
Politicians’ Wealth Under Scrutiny
The discussion has expanded beyond Musk and Khanna. Commentator Nick Sortor highlighted the estimated net worths of several politicians who have criticized Musk. These included Khanna, Gavin Newsom, Elizabeth Warren, and Bernie Sanders.
Sortor described them as “virtue-signaling hypocrites”. He argued that politicians with substantial personal wealth were attacking an entrepreneur who built his fortune through companies such as SpaceX and Tesla.
‘Buy, Borrow, Die’ Strategy Draws Attention
Separately, finance commentator Dåve revived debate around the “Buy, Borrow, Die” strategy.
The approach is to borrow against stock holdings instead of selling assets that would trigger taxable gains. It allows billionaires to fund lavish lifestyles while minimizing tax liabilities and transferring wealth to heirs. But the strategy is legal, and Musk leveraged it to acquire Twitter for $44 billion.
Related: Elon Musk Predicts 10x Global Economic Expansion Within a Decade, Warns of War Risk
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