Golf superstar Phil Mickelson loves California but hates the way Gavin Newsom is running it. Since Newsom is making things worse, Mickelson is now begging Elon Musk to fix California.
At first, the request looks in jest on Musk's X platform, but Mickelson, who has been complaining about the "idiots" in the state government for years isn't kidding. He's begging for help.
Dear Elon, please do California next 🙏
— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) February 12, 2025
Before Newsom diverted as much as $40 billion of federal COVID dollars to prisoners, Nigerian princes, and international bad actors; before $20 billion in homeless spending was cast to the four winds and went unaccounted for; before the high-speed rail project ate billions of dollars without a track being laid; before lying by 690% about fireproofing the state; before miscalculating the budget and ending up with a $98 billion deficit; Phil Mickelson thought the state was poorly run. He must be apoplectic by now.
A few years ago Mickelson announced that he was getting the heck out of California when his kids graduated from the local high school near his estate in Rancho Santa Fe, just north of San Diego. In 2013, he complained, “There are going to be some drastic changes for me because I happen to be in that zone that has been targeted both federally and by the state, and it doesn’t work for me right now. So I’m going to have to make some changes.” Florida has no income tax. California does. Its top rate is the sixth-worst in the nation at 13.3%.
Despite his complaints about how California is run and its usurious tax rates, Mickelson has increased his footprint there. Beginning in 2005, he began acquiring adjacent properties "in his neighborhood."
La Jolla is where the old money live their visible and splashy lives. Rancho Santa Fe, on the other hand, is an equestrian paradise, where people live on multi-acre lots in dreamy privacy. And he's still there.
In 2020, however, Mickelson bought property and began planning to build a manse in Jupiter Island, Fla. The property is still in development. He's made some moves to plant some roots in Florida. He became a member of Michael Jordan's (yes, that Michael Jordan) invitation-only golf club, The Grove XXIII, in nearby Hobe Sound.
Now, worth more than $400 million, his kids are college-age or older, and Mickelson appears to be using his $200 million LIV Golf League bonus to bankroll his new Florida house. He's also adding to the real estate portfolio he's been working on for years.
Recently, Mickelson has been getting louder with his criticism — especially after the catastrophic L.A. fires.
He recently commented on an excerpt from a Joe Rogan podcast where Rogan explains why Elon Musk is the perfect choice to root out government waste, despite Democrats' groundless accusations that Musk's "stealing" money and information.
"This is why he’s the perfect guy to get rid of our crazy government corruption," Mickelson remarked. "Every day I look forward to learning about what has been uncovered."
This is why he’s the perfect guy to get rid of our crazy government corruption. Every day I look forward to learning about what has been uncovered. 😳 https://t.co/K51FXiiIlR
— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) February 12, 2025
His next message on X was, "Dear Elon, please do California next 🙏."
He's been busy mixing golf and economics on X. He retweeted an Elon Musk's message that highlighted a Milton Friedman video in which the brilliant economist talked about government spending and who really pays the bills.
Milton Friedman was spot on
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 10, 2025
pic.twitter.com/5fndbNzE8N
And the man who plays in the oil-rich Saudi-owned golf league absolutely destroyed California's woke energy policy on X by noting that the state imports Middle Eastern oil when it could supply its own.
Here’s why having a rational conversation doesn’t work in CA. CA uses 1.5-1.7 mil barrels of oil a day. CA produces 400 [thousand barrels] yet has more than enough to be self reliant. Instead, CA buys from Iraq and other countries to supply the need. It costs more, is dirtier and burns more pollutants in the air, needs to be shipped around the world in cargo ships that pollutes the air and has a possibility to spill more oil exponentially into the oceans [than] the pipeline with safety valves which far exceeds the requirements (SOC Sable offshore). This is a case of idiots wanting what “sounds” good rather than is good for the environment. The govt needs to see the big picture and do what’s best for the state and country and stand up to this incompetence, however the CCC (CA coastal commission) is made up of said idiots.
This is no small thing. Democrats control every aspect of California's public life. Mickelson is making himself a target. The talentless and ruthless Kamala Harris may be California's next governor. As attorney general, she investigated and prosecuted Californians for less.
Gutsy move, Phil.
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