SpaceX has reached a settlement with the creators of Cards Against Humanity after being accused of trespassing and damaging a plot of land it owns near the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas.
According to Texas court filings, the settlement was finalized last month—just weeks before a jury trial was set to begin on November 3. The Chicago-based card company confirmed the resolution in a statement but said the details of the agreement remain confidential. SpaceX declined to comment.
The conflict stems from a piece of property that Cards Against Humanity purchased in 2017 as part of a tongue-in-cheek campaign protesting then-President Donald Trump’s plans for a border wall. More than 150,000 supporters contributed $15 each to help buy the land, which the company pledged to keep in its natural state.
But in 2024, the company alleged that SpaceX, which owns surrounding parcels as part of its Starbase operations in Cameron County, began using the land without permission. The lawsuit claimed SpaceX and its contractors cleared vegetation, dumped gravel, parked vehicles, and stored construction materials on the site.
The company had sought $15 million in damages for the alleged environmental destruction and loss of vegetation. It had also hinted to its original donors that they could receive a payout from any court victory. However, after the settlement, the company acknowledged that supporters would not receive cash. Instead, it is releasing a special “mini-pack” of Cards Against Humanity themed around Elon Musk.
“So while we can’t give you what you really wanted—cash money from Elon Musk—we’re going to make it up to you, our best, sexiest customers, with comedy,” the company told donors in an email.
While Cards Against Humanity said it was ready to go to trial, it ultimately decided that doing so would cost more than the potential payout. “Under Texas law, even if we had won, we likely wouldn’t have been able to recover legal fees,” the company explained. “We had the truth on our side, but Musk and SpaceX could easily outspend us.” (via AP)
Still, the company called the outcome a victory. “We’re happy to have stood up to a bully like Musk,” it said. “SpaceX admitted to trespassing, and the land is being returned to how it should be—free of space junk and pointless border walls.”
