Ukranian-American who named his business after Elon Musk has a change of heart

• The founder of Musk Construction is changing the company name so he's not associated with Elon Musk. Steve Riabov came to the U.S. from Ukraine and was not happy with Musk's comments about the country and his work with DOGE. Musk's approval rating among Americans is lower than Trump's.

Steve Riabov came to the U.S. from Ukraine and was quickly inspired by the success story of another immigrant. So when he started his kitchen and bathroom remodeling business six years ago, he didn't hesitate to name it after his hero.

Today, the owner of Musk Construction is regretting that decision. The company is thriving, but Musk's public comments on Ukraine as well as his actions in Washington have convinced Riabov to eat the costs of a name change.

That's going to run anywhere from $15,000 to $20,000 as the company reworks trademarks and permits. It will also have to get new license plates to replace the "MUSK UP" and "MUSK INC" that are on its vehicles now. For Riabov, though, it's not a hard choice.

"I can’t stand it," Riabov told USA Today. "I no longer align with all of his values. I have to change the name."

Riabov is hardly alone in his changed impressions of Musk. The popularity of Tesla's billionaire CEO has been dwindling since he aligned himself with Trump. A new Washington Post/ABC News poll found his approval rating stood at just 35%, lower than Trump's historic low 100-day figures.

The number of people who disapprove of the job he is doing now stands at 57%, compared to 49% two months ago.

Riabov, who came to the U.S. after he was kidnapped by the Russian military in 2014 on suspicion of being a Ukrainian spy, obtained political asylum and began doing handyman work. He improved his English by reading books and listening to audiobooks. It was a Musk biography that captured his attention, however.

When he launched his own company in 2019, he decided to name it in honor of Musk. Now Riabov, who became an American citizen last year, says he believes the Musk name is "bad for business."

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com