Majority negative to Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg
There is a focus on big tech leaders, especially after their line up at Donald Trump’s recent reinstallation as the US president and Elon Musk’s new role as Trump’s efficiency tzar with a controversial mission to reduce federal spending. A new survey shows that Americans have a more negative than positive view of two of the tech leaders – Tesla CEO and X-owner Elon Musk and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
What people think about the other big tech leaders is still unclear as only Musk and Zuckerberg were included in the survey.
Musk is a deeply polarizing figure, with Republicans largely viewing him favourably and Democrats largely unfavourably. Views of Zuckerberg are less polarized, with majorities in both parties viewing him unfavourably, the survey from Pew Research Centre shows.
Over half of adults (54%) say they have an unfavourable view of Musk, including 36% who have a very unfavourable opinion of him. About four-in-ten (42%) express a favourable view, including 11% who are very favourable.
Two-thirds have an unfavourable view of Zuckerberg. This includes 26% who are very unfavourable toward him. Another quarter view him favourably, including just 2% who see him very favourably.
“With his recent involvement in the Trump administration, views of Musk are deeply divided along party lines. Republicans are far more favourable than Democrats toward Musk:
- 73% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents – including 84% of conservative Republicans – hold a favourable view. This compares with 12% of Democrats and Democratic leaners.
- Far more Democrats than Republicans have an unfavourable view of Musk (85% vs. 24%).
By comparison, majorities in both parties have an unfavourable view of Zuckerberg, though Democrats are more likely than Republicans to see him negatively:
- Six-in-ten Republicans and around three-quarters of Democrats (76%) – including 87% of liberal Democrats – have an unfavourable view.
- Smaller shares in both parties hold a favourable one (34% of Republicans and 17% of Democrats).
Views of Musk and Zuckerberg also modestly vary by age, with younger adults somewhat more negative of both.
- 67% of adults under 30 hold an unfavourable view of Musk, compared with about half of those ages 30 to 49 (53%) and those 50 and older (49%).
- Seven-in-ten adults under 30 and 72% of those ages 30 to 49 have an unfavourable opinion of Zuckerberg. This compares with 62% of those 50 and older.
Moonshot News is an independent European news website for all IT, Media and Advertising professionals, powered by women and with a focus on driving the narrative for diversity, inclusion and gender equality in the industry.
Our mission is to provide top and unbiased information for all professionals and to make sure that women get their fair share of voice in the news and in the spotlight!
We produce original content, news articles, a curated calendar of industry events and a database of women IT, Media and Advertising associations.
