Just one year ago, most knew Elon Musk as an eccentric billionaire, the man who bought (and ruined) Twitter, and the estranged father of over a dozen children. Today, Musk has quickly become one of the most influential people in American politics – despite not even being American. So, how did the wealthiest man in the world become so enmeshed in the politics of a country foreign to him?
Like President Trump, Musk has quickly become influential in the Republican party despite holding no previous office and boasting zero political experience. Musk’s sudden rise to power in the US is especially puzzling to many, as he seemed to be merely an admirer of Trump for most of the campaign, not appearing at an event with the candidate until just four months ago—only weeks before the election.
By November, despite Trump boasting about his fortune, it became clear that he had much to gain from Musk financially. In December, CBS reported that Musk had spent $277 million to support the final leg of Trump’s campaign. While his involvement appeared to be financial at first, it quickly became apparent that the intention behind his generous donation was to buy himself influence in the newest administration.
Musk has struggled with the United States government over regulations on his business ventures for years. According to Autoweek, despite being on the market for a little over a decade, Tesla has already become the most recalled car brand in the United States. The latest recall, on Friday, February 21 (yes, today), impacted 380,000 vehicles after a year-long investigation by the National Highway Traffic and Safety Commission.
In the summer of 2023, SpaceX was investigated for FAA violations, and the following year, the FAA called for SpaceX to be fined $633,000. This opened the door for a public internet feud between Musk and the government, wherein he threatened to sue the FAA, demanded the resignation of FAA Chief Mike Whitaker, and accused the department of harassing SpaceX. Whitaker resigned on January 20, the day of Trump’s inauguration.
Musk appears to be pulling the strings behind Trump’s executive order pen. His newly created department, DOGE, has been in charge of gutting federal programs, defunding the organizations responsible for investigating his businesses and dismissing the workers who have carried out these investigations. On January 28, Musk emailed 2 million federal employees, urging them to quit their jobs for a buyout or risk termination.
On his first day in office, Trump signed a federal hiring freeze, effectively stopping the departments regulating Tesla and SpaceX. According to Opening Bell, Musk has reportedly made $4 billion daily since Trump’s election. Stocks for his businesses are up, and his net worth has skyrocketed to more than that of Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg combined.
On Friday, Musk appeared at the Conservative Political Action Conference. He danced around the stage holding a chainsaw and accused Democrats of “treason.” The crowd gave him raucous applause.
Musk’s motivation for political involvement seems to mirror that of his puppet: greed and an attempt to deregulate his industries, regardless of the millions of Americans he will hurt. Musk’s position in DOGE is a direct conflict of interest, which seems to be a trademark of the new Republican party.
