A 40-foot inflatable figure of Elon Musk appeared overnight in New York’s Times Square on June 11, 2026. The stunt was timed one day before SpaceX’s stock market debut.
A giant inflatable Elon Musk popped up in Times Square as part of a protest against Musk's Grok AI. pic.twitter.com/BdLOB900iC
— TMZ (@TMZ) June 11, 2026
The effigy showed Musk shirtless, smiling, and wearing a baseball cap. It was covered in tattoos referencing his AI chatbot Grok and his reported ketamine use.
The protest was organised by Safe AI Now, known as SAIN. The group describes itself as a coalition of faith leaders, child-safety organisations, and other individuals.
SAIN said the inflatable was intended as a warning to potential SpaceX investors. The group said the display would remain up until 7 p.m. ET on Thursday.
A tattoo across the figure’s torso read: “SpaceX’s Grok makes AI child porn.” A separate tattoo on the back read: “SpaceX owns Grok.”
The message referenced allegations that Grok, the xAI chatbot acquired by SpaceX earlier in 2026, had been used to produce sexual images of children.
In January, Musk stated that anyone using Grok to generate illegal content would face the same consequences as those who upload it. The official X account also said it has “zero tolerance for any forms of child sexual exploitation.”
SpaceX acknowledged Grok’s NSFW capabilities in its S-1 filing last month. The company warned investors that this mode could cause “reputational harm” and generate “nonconsensual or exploitative imagery.”
SpaceX listed on the Nasdaq on June 12, 2026. It is expected to raise $75 billion, giving the company a valuation of $1.75 trillion.
The listing is expected to be the largest IPO in history. SpaceX shares were priced at $135 each.
SAIN stated in its press release: “SpaceX shareholders are on the hook for every Grok lawsuit, criminal investigation, and regulatory fine that is coming.”
Musk responded to a post about the inflatable on X. He said: “This is so dumb, because what they’re claiming is totally false.” SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment.
This was not the first time a large Musk effigy was used in protest. In 2025, a sculpture of Musk appeared in several national parks following cuts to the National Park Service led by DOGE.
The SpaceX IPO goes ahead as planned on June 12, making it the most watched market event of 2026.
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