Power breeds more power. Elon Musk is accumulating more of it. On Monday, the billionaire behind SpaceX, a company that makes rockets, and Tesla, a company that makes cars and batteries, conducted an interview with Donald Trump on X, the social media site that he owns. Little new information regarding the Republican presidential candidate's opinions was disclosed during the two-hour conversation. It went into further detail on how Musk has used his control of important businesses as a political platform for bullying.
The talk with Trump was meandering and late. Among other things, the former president asserted without providing any supporting data that other countries are smuggling prisoners into the United States illegally. He accused the Democratic Party of causing the current inflation and chastised President Joe Biden for his handling of Russia. But Musk also had a lot of airtime. In addition to advocating for a position in the Trump administration, he raised awareness of the dangers of carbon dioxide emissions and supported sustainable technology.
It's possible that Trump accepted to speak on X since he frequently utilized the platform in the past and has recently resumed using it. It also serves as a representation of Musk's personal significance. Tesla, the $650 billion electric car manufacturer, is the jewel in his empire, but the growing tycoon's power extends far beyond the automotive industry. As renewable power grows, Tesla's massive batteries will become ever more essential to the prosperity of the United States. He has voting authority over the rocket manufacturer SpaceX, which is essential for launches in the United States and Europe. Its subsidiary Starlink gives satellite support to the Ukrainian military.
Not that everything in Musk's empire is perfect: Tesla's profitability is plummeting, a "Hyperloop" to revolutionize transport seems to have stalled, and Musk is the target of many lawsuits and government investigations concerning topics ranging from alleged labor abuses to securities law. However, the money and credit that such companies have enabled new ventures, such as the purchase of Twitter, the company that was originally known as X. Despite being a financial disaster, that deal helped its owner snag the future president's ear.
Musk is not the first businessman to influence political decisions. However, his involvement with the state is becoming more and more intense: SpaceX is constructing satellites for US intelligence. It will be increasingly crucial for whoever wins the presidency in November to be able to thwart influence going the other way, as they will have more power over Musk's financial fortunes.The friendly conversation on Monday raises questions about the Republican side of the aisle.