- Visit to Elon Musk on Friday at the Pentagon He attracted criticism and stressed the links of his companies both with the federal government and with China. The billionaire’s rocket company SpaceX There are $ 22 billion in deals with the federal government. In China, Musk Tesla It works with its largest factory, gigafactor Shanghai, which produced about half of all Tesla’s vehicles since last year.
Elon Musk visited the Pentagon on Friday at a briefing for China, which highlighted the billionaire’s steadily growing influence in the Trump administration, as well as the deep links of his businesses and the federal government and China.
Musk initially had to receive a briefing on the highest information on the secrets related to the potential war with China, Theujork Times reportedAlthough defense officials later said they would receive a non -classified briefing, according to Wall Street Journalournal. Defense Secretary Pete Heget and President Trump and both denied that Musk visited the Pentagon to get the highest information on a possible war with China, as reported by Times Before Musk’s visit on Friday.
In front of reporters at the Oval Office, Trump said Musk would not see the highest information on a potential war with China and mentioned that the billionaire’s business activities could play a role.
“We do not want to have a potential war with China, but I can tell you if we have done, we are very well equipped to deal with it, but I do not want to show it to anyone, but we would certainly not show it to a businessman,” Trump said. “Elon has businesses in China and he would be subjected to maybe.”
Whatever the information he received (he replied “Why tell you?” Asked by the rapporteur on the subject of the meeting), the potential high level of nature of his visit to the Pentagon attracted the review.
Senator Kirsten Gilibrand (DN), who is also an older member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, wrote that Musk should not have been in the Pentagon.
“Elon Musk is an unbeaten, self-interested billionaire without any business near the Pentagon,” Giliban wrote in A. After on x.
It is unclear whether other defense companies would file lawsuits based on Musk’s approach, but even if they do so, it is suspicious that they would prevail in court, said Professor of Law at Case Western Reserve, Anat Alon-Beck.
“No one promised equal access to that kind of information,” Alon-Beck said Wealth. “We’ve always had people – with previous administrations – also – having access to others who don’t. So it’s not just a musk.”
However, Musk’s businesses have deep links with China. His EV Tesla maker has been selling vehicles in the country for a decade and Musk has often spoken positively about the country. In 2023, during an audio interview with US lawmakers on his social media network X, the CEO said he was “pro-China”.
“I have some interesting interests in China, but honestly, I think China is underestimated and I think people from China are really wonderful and there is a lot of positive energy there,” he said. said At that time.
His “given interests” and the values included with China are the following:
- Tesla’s largest factory, Gigafactor Shanghai, is located in China. Half of Tesla’s vehicles globally were made there by last year.
- Despite the recent one 49% drop in deliveriesChina is still one of Tesla’s biggest markets behind the United States
- The Chinese government reportedly “”was looking for guarantees“He did not sell Starklink in China, Financial times reported. Musk last year told the companies that make Starlink’s components in Taiwan to move production to other countries because of “Geopolitical worries“
In the United States, SpaceX is a major government contractor with about $ 22 billion in government agreements, According to his CEO. His subsidiary, Starklink, helps the Pentagon provide internet access in remote environments.
Tesla, for his part, received $ 11.4 billion in regulatory loans from federal and state governments, according to A. Washington Post Analysis. Cumulatively, Musk companies have received government agreements, loans, subsidies and tax loans that are returning 20 years, After reported.
This story was originally shown on Fortune.com
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