For 2021 Musk paid roughly $11 billion in federal taxes — among the largest single-year tax bills any individual has ever paid — after exercising stock options and selling shares. So "pays no taxes" is flatly false. The legitimate point underneath is about timing: ProPublica reported that in some earlier years his realized taxable income was low relative to his soaring net worth, because unsold stock isn't taxed and the ultra-wealthy can borrow against shares instead of selling. That is a real feature of the US tax code — but it is legal, applies to essentially all founders who hold stock, and isn't "exploiting a loophole" in any fraudulent sense. When Musk did realize gains in 2021, he paid an enormous bill. Critics can fairly argue the system should tax unrealized gains; what they can't honestly say is that Musk personally evaded tax or paid nothing.