DAVID ELLEFSON Says He'd Like To Join MEGADETH's Farewell Tour: "I'm A Founding Member"

David Ellefson has admitted he "would like" to be part of Megadeth's upcoming farewell tour, even as he reflected on the turbulent relationship with Dave Mustaine that has defined much of the band's history.

Speaking on a special episode of his video podcast The David Ellefson Show, the former bassist reacted to the news that Megadeth's next album will be their last, with a farewell world tour planned for 2026. "There's a lot, 'cause, of course, it brings up years and years of thoughts, feelings, emotions, some great, some not so great," he said.

Looking at the gold records on his wall, Ellefson pointed to milestones like Countdown To Extinction, Peace Sells, and Rust In Peace as reminders of both triumph and turbulence. "Really great stuff… [but also] addictions, rehabs, canceled tours, lost finances in the millions," he recalled. "For things to flush out the way they did with me not being part of the final farewell of something I started, as one can imagine, [it's] probably not something I'm super happy about."

A Complicated History With Mustaine

Ellefson traced the tension back to 2001, when Mustaine publicly ended their friendship. After Megadeth briefly disbanded in 2002 due to Mustaine's debilitating arm injury, the band returned in 2004 without Ellefson, sparking legal disputes over finances and control. Though he rejoined in 2010 and remained until his firing in 2021, Ellefson said the dynamic had shifted permanently.

"Clearly Megadeth is a Mustaine family-run business," he said, adding that the collaborative spirit of the early years gave way to a more top-down model. "When I came back, I knew in no way was that ever gonna sort of trump the brand… Let me take my creative stuff over there. I knew — look, we got it back together. Let's keep it clean, let's keep it simple."

Financial disputes in 2004 left lasting scars. "If you're a founding member of a band, to some degree you should be entitled to a piece of everything," Ellefson argued. "That deal got changed in 2004. That immediately changed the landscape. It changed my feelings about it."

Fired In 2021

Ellefson also revisited his 2021 dismissal, when sexually explicit private messages and video surfaced online. "It was unnecessary," he said of Mustaine's decision to part ways. "They didn't have to do that. Whatever those circumstances are were nothing to be feared. We can move on. But whatever. They made their decision, so let the chips fall where they may."

Still, Ellefson stressed he and Mustaine had once operated with unity. "[Overkill's] Bobby Blitz said… 'No matter how we go into the room with separate ideas, we come out as one voice.' And I always felt like Dave and I did that. Whether I agreed with it or not, you get on board with it. And for the most part, Dave's way worked pretty good."

As for Megadeth's farewell, Ellefson sees parallels with how Black Sabbath closed their career in 2017, reuniting their core lineup for fans to say goodbye properly. "Would I like to be a part of it? Yeah, of course. Who wouldn't? I'm a founding member of it. I'm a 30-plus-year member of it," he said. "Do I think there should be some sort of farewell that everybody gets to participate in? I think that's an important part of it. But that's me. I'm not in the band anymore. I have no say in it."

Megadeth's Final Album

Dave Mustaine announced Megadeth's final album earlier this week, the follow-up to 2022's The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!. Produced by Chris Rakestraw, it will be released through Mustaine's Tradecraft imprint on Frontiers' BLKIIBLK label in 2026, with pre-orders launching September 25. Farewell tour dates will also be announced later this year.

In a statement, Mustaine told fans: "Don't be mad, don't be sad, be happy for us all, come celebrate with me these next few years. We started a musical style, we started a revolution… and we changed the world. I love you all for it. Thank you for everything."

For Ellefson, though, the question lingers: will he get the chance to stand onstage one last time with the band he co-founded? "Who knows?" he said.