Elon Musk Allegedly Stiffing Contractors on Huge Bills

Elon Musk, the wealthy and powerful CEO, may be accused of withholding payments to contractors who built his massive Colossus data centers near Memphis. The alleged lack of payment totals over $136 million, according to a contractor called Darana Hybrid based in Ohio. Darana Hybrid has filed liens demanding payment for over $18 million in work done for the first Colossus facility located near Boxtown, and more than $118 million for the second facility situated in Whitehaven.

This is just the beginning, as Darryl Cuttell, the owner of Darana Hybrid, is expected to file additional liens, potentially totaling over $400 million in debt. Other contractors, USW-Menard Inc and TorcSill Foundations, have also filed liens, amassing more than $2.2 million in unpaid bills for their work at SpaceXAI's data center facilities.

The colossal sum of money owed is causing significant distress for Cuttell, who has barely slept for four months and has lost a significant amount of weight. This is not the first time Musk has been accused of treating his contractors poorly; a 2025 CNN investigation revealed that Tesla's contractors had filed liens for more than $110 million in unpaid wages over the past five years.