New research shows the views of Americans on two of the world’s richest and most powerful men are largely negative.
A new survey by the Pew Research Center reveals Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, are not overly popular with the American people.
The views of Tesla, X and SpaceX owner Musk, in particular, are deeply polarized, with his political party affiliation playing a significant role in shaping perceptions.
The world’s richest man is currently presiding over the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and make savage cuts to public spending and jobs.
Meta owner Zuckerberg faces negative opinions from both major political parties, but the divide is less pronounced.
Public Opinion of Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg
The survey, conducted between January 27 and February 2, 2025, reveals 54% of US adults have an unfavorable view of Musk, with 36% holding a very unfavorable opinion.
42% view him favorably, but only 11% have a very favorable opinion.
In contrast, Zuckerberg, is viewed negatively by 66% of Americans, with 26% having a very unfavorable opinion.
Only 25% hold a favorable view, with just 2% expressing strong favor.
Zuckerberg’s leadership at Meta has drawn political scrutiny, especially with his decision to end fact-checking on social media platforms, which has contributed to his negative image.
Political Divide in Views of Musk
One of the most striking findings is the sharp political divide in views of Elon Musk.
Republicans are overwhelmingly favorable toward Musk, with 73% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents holding a positive opinion.
This support is even stronger among conservative Republicans, at 84%.
In contrast, only 12% of Democrats share a favorable view of Musk, and a significant 85% of Democrats have an unfavorable view.
This polarization has intensified since Musk’s involvement in the Trump administration, which has led to even deeper divisions along party lines.
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Zuckerberg: Negative Views Across the Board
While Zuckerberg also faces negative views, the divide is not as stark as with Musk.
Both Republicans and Democrats have unfavorable opinions of Zuckerberg, but the numbers differ slightly.
76% of Democrats view Zuckerberg negatively, including 87% of liberal Democrats. In comparison, 60% of Republicans hold an unfavorable view of him.
Favorable views of Zuckerberg are modest in both parties, with 34% of Republicans and 17% of Democrats expressing a positive opinion.
However, these numbers are significantly lower than those for Musk, which suggests that Zuckerberg’s image is broadly unappealing across political lines.
Age Differences in Opinion
The survey also highlights that age plays a role in shaping views of both Musk and Zuckerberg. Younger Americans are generally more negative about both figures.
- 67% of adults under 30 hold an unfavorable view of Musk, compared with 53% of those aged 30-49 and 49% of adults 50 and older.
- Similarly, 70% of adults under 30 and 72% of those aged 30-49 hold a negative opinion of Zuckerberg, compared to 62% of those aged 50 and older.
This trend is particularly pronounced among Republicans when it comes to Musk. For instance, 47% of Republicans under 30 view Musk unfavorably, while only 23% of Republicans aged 30-49 and 16% of those aged 50 and older share this opinion. Among Democrats, views of Musk do not vary much across age groups.
Public Familiarity with Musk and Zuckerberg
It’s worth noting that both Musk and Zuckerberg are widely recognized figures in the U.S. Fewer than 10% of Americans say they have never heard of Musk (3%) or Zuckerberg (6%). Their prominence in tech and media means that opinions on them are almost universally held.
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Moving Forward: A Divided View
The stark contrast in American views of Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg demonstrates the influence of political and generational divides on public opinion.
Musk’s connection to the Trump administration has polarized him along party lines, while Zuckerberg faces cross-party disapproval but with less intensity.
As these two tech leaders continue to shape the digital landscape, their public images will likely remain divisive.
Whether their actions in the coming months will shift these views remains to be seen, but for now, both Musk and Zuckerberg remain deeply polarizing figures in the eyes of the American public.
Methodology
Data in this report comes from Wave 161 of the American Trends Panel (ATP), Pew Research Center’s nationally representative panel of randomly selected US. adults. The survey was conducted from Jan. 27 to Feb. 2, 2025. A total of 5,086 panelists responded out of 5,699 who were sampled, for a survey-level response rate of 89%.
