Steve Wozniak and Elon Musk should, in theory, have a lot in common–two tech visionaries, each revolutionizing their respective industries. But while Apple built its empire on making things easier for users, Tesla, in Wozniak’s eyes, has been doing the exact opposite. Once an enthusiastic Tesla owner, the Apple co-founder has grown disillusioned with the company and its CEO, and now, he says, Musk has personally shut him out.
Wozniak says his X account was blocked after years of publicly criticizing Musk. He believes his outspoken remarks about failed promises and questionable business practices led to the sudden restriction—despite never violating platform rules.
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In a post on Bluesky last month, Wozniak wrote:
"Over years, I have a few times called Musk a liar (across the country by 2016, then 2017) and thief (money for upgrades), on national TV even. Maybe that's why my Twitter account has been blocked for a few months despite violating no rules. I can't get it fixed."
Just days later, during a CNBC interview, Wozniak doubled down, recalling how Musk repeatedly promised Tesla's self-driving technology would be ready by 2016, then pushed it to 2017. He accused Musk of misleading customers and taking their money for software that never delivered.
"He lied to us about driving himself across the country by the end of 2016 and then by the end of 2017," Wozniak said. "And he got money from us—stole money from us—to try to upgrade to the one that would do it, when they wouldn't."
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He described his frustration over losing access to X, saying he went through all verification steps but couldn't regain control of his account.
"I follow every single step to prove that I'm real, really who I am, and I can't get it unblocked," he said. "I don't know if they're doing that deliberately, but I never really posted on X, I never ever violated any rule or anything. But maybe it's because I was on the wrong side of Elon."
In 2014, Wozniak was one of Tesla's biggest fans. In an interview with NBC News, he spoke about the Tesla he and his wife had purchased, saying, "We love it more than any other car we have."
But that admiration didn't last. Over time, he's soured on its technology, calling Tesla's user interface "the worst in the world." He described how updates have made basic functions harder, like accessing the glove box or finding turn signals on the yoke steering wheel.
"Nothing makes sense in that car intuitively," he said. "You have to go searching in menus until you stumble into finding it—it's horrible."
Wozniak's account remains blocked, and he claims he hasn't received an explanation. Whether intentional or not, it's clear he believes his public criticism of Musk cost him access to one of the world's largest social media platforms.
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