Cards Against Humanity, the boldly humorous party game brand, has concluded its trespassing lawsuit against SpaceX, nearly one year after initiating the complaint and executing a sharp-tongued marketing campaign aimed at Elon Musk’s aerospace enterprise.
The conflict arose over a plot of land located along the Rio Grande in Cameron County, Texas, which Cards Against Humanity acquired in 2017. Funded by 150,000 individual donations of $15 each—totaling $2.25 million—the purchase was backed by supporters eager to help thwart former President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall.
This property was situated adjacent to SpaceX’s Starbase rocket complex, a significant launch site for the company’s spacecraft. Tensions escalated in 2024 when Cards Against Humanity accused SpaceX of trespassing, claiming that the company had unlawfully deposited construction equipment and materials on their land. (Neither SpaceX nor its legal representatives responded to requests for comments.)
Details of the settlement remain confidential. Cards Against Humanity had initially sought $15 million in damages and informed its supporters that they might receive as much as $100 each from any proceeds. However, instead of cash, these supporters will be treated to a “brand new mini-pack of exclusive cards centered around Elon Musk,” a unique expansion for the beloved party game, as announced in an email sent to backers.
“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 humorously noted in a Monday email, highlighting the new card mini-pack.
In a statement to TechCrunch, Cards Against Humanity expressed satisfaction in standing up against a “bully like Musk” and in achieving a settlement. They mentioned that SpaceX has since removed its construction equipment, and the company is striving to return the land to its original condition, free from “space debris and unnecessary border barriers.”
Last year, Cards Against Humanity had conveyed to their supporters, “Unfortunately, an even richer, more racist billionaire — Elon Musk — snuck up on us from behind and completely f—-d your land with gravel, tractors, and space garbage.” They also launched a website named “www.ElonOwesYou100Dollars.com” to rally support.
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At that time, Cards Against Humanity asserted that its “established reputation for outrageous promises was on the line,” but they also cautioned supporters that “Musk has significantly deeper pockets and a superior legal team, so you’re likely to walk away with maybe $2.”
Now, it appears that even that amount will not be forthcoming.
The legal proceedings progressed swiftly, with both parties already having participated in the discovery phase—where evidence is exchanged prior to trial. A trial was anticipated for November. Cards Against Humanity informed TechCrunch that SpaceX acknowledged the trespass during the discovery process, a development they described as “a real vindication.”
The company stated on Monday that it was “ready to proceed to trial and confident in our chances of success.” However, they ultimately concluded that the financial burden of a trial would likely outweigh the potential gains from SpaceX.
“Under Texas law, we would likely be unable to recover our legal fees. We had the truth on our side, but Musk and SpaceX could comfortably outspend us,” the company remarked.
Elon Musk is known for his tendency to engage in legal battles with adversaries—especially those threatening his companies. He once proclaimed that Tesla’s “hardcore litigation department” would “never surrender or settle against an unjust case, even if we might ultimately lose.”
Despite this fierce reputation, Musk and his companies frequently opt for settlements. The Cards Against Humanity lawsuit is not the only one settled this year; earlier this month, X resolved a complaint from former Twitter executives, and Tesla has reached settlements on various Autopilot-related issues. One notable case involving Autopilot did not result in a settlement, even though a settlement was possible; this case ended in one of Tesla’s most significant court losses to date.
