It's unclear if Elon Musk ever figured out how to wear a cowboy hat, but 2024 is the year the billionaire went all in on Texas. While Tesla laid off almost 2,700 Texas staffers in the spring as part of a global workforce shedding, the automaker still hired and expanded more in the state this year.

Elon Musk's plan for a SpaceX employee town, Starbase, is moving forward as workers in South Texas petition to incorporate it. The 1.5-square-mile community will house 500, mainly SpaceX staff and their families.

Starbase will be located in coastal South Texas which is home to the SpaceX rocket launch facilities. If the city comes into existence, it will be a first for any company or business leader in the world.