U.S. Agencies Fund, and Fight With, Elon Musk. A Trump Presidency Could Give Him Power Over Them.
Eric Lipton, David A. Fahrenthold, Aaron Krolik and Kirsten Grind, NY Times
Elon Musk’s influence over the federal government is extraordinary, and extraordinarily lucrative.
Mr. Musk’s rocket company, SpaceX, effectively dictates NASA’s rocket launch schedule. The Defense Department relies on him to get most of its satellites to orbit. His companies were promised $3 billion across nearly 100 different contracts last year with 17 federal agencies.
AI Summary:
Elon Musk’s companies have deep and complex relationships with the federal government, receiving billions in contracts while simultaneously facing numerous regulatory challenges. SpaceX and Tesla rely heavily on NASA and Defense Department contracts, but these same companies are currently subject to multiple federal investigations and regulatory actions. The FAA is fining SpaceX over safety concerns, the FCC has rejected funding for their rural internet project, and Tesla faces ongoing investigations into its self-driving technology.
Against this backdrop of regulatory scrutiny, Musk has publicly aligned himself with Donald Trump’s campaign and proposed the idea of a “government efficiency commission” – which Trump has promised to let Musk lead if elected. This commission would have the power to recommend agency cuts and regulatory changes, potentially affecting the same federal bodies currently investigating Musk’s companies. The article notes this arrangement would create significant conflicts of interest, as Musk would essentially have influence over his own regulators. During a recent conference in Los Angeles, Musk explicitly stated that a Trump victory would provide “an opportunity to do kind of a once in a lifetime deregulation and reduction in the size of the government.”
This complex web of government contracts, regulatory battles, and potential future influence raises serious concerns. While Musk’s companies provide critical services to federal agencies, they simultaneously push back against regulatory constraints that could hamper their operations and expansion plans.
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Musk-Trump Reading List:
How Tech Billionaires Became the G.O.P.’s New Donor Class, by Jonathan Mahler, Ryan Mac and Theodore Schleifer, NY Times
U.S. Agencies Fund, and Fight With, Elon Musk. A Trump Presidency Could Give Him Power Over Them, by Eric Lipton, David A. Fahrenthold, Aaron Krolik and Kirsten Grind, NY Times (article above)
Musk, Thiel and the shadow of apartheid South Africa, by Simon Kuper, Financial Times
Five things to know about J.D. Vance’s ties to tech billionaires, by Bobby Allyn, NPR
