Washington DC:
It is not unthinkable that the world’s richest individual can pull greater than only a few strings with prime politicians, however Elon Musk appears to be investing himself within the political world with such depth that analysts now surprise if there’s a bigger plan.
Final week Elon Musk created historical past by breaking his personal earlier report and turning into the primary individual to have a internet value of greater than 400 billion {dollars}. In simply six days, he has added almost one other 100 billion ($86 billion) and is knocking on the 500-billion-dollar mark. Within the final one yr, Musk has added $257 billion to his internet value – $7 billion greater than all the internet value of Jeff Bezos – the second-most richest individual globally.
Picture and Knowledge Credit score: Bloomberg
However Musk isn’t just using the excessive wave in relation to enterprise, he’s now doing the identical in geopolitics. Having being included within the Trump Administration 2.0, Elon Musk finds himself immersed on this planet of politics. Although he was deeply concerned with Donald Trump’s marketing campaign and is partially credited for the latter’s win within the US elections, he now appears to be backing – or moderately, influencing – leaders from past america.
US DONE, MUSK SETS EYES ON UK
From supporting one firebrand chief to now backing one other one – this time within the UK – Elon Musk has held intensive talks with anti-immigration hardliner Nigel Farage. The discussions between the 2 had been largely centered on Musk funding Farage’s hard-right occasion ‘Reform UK’.
Elon Musk, who now freely makes use of Donald Trump’s Florida resort estate-cum-residence, Mar-a-Lago, as his political workplace, invited Nigel Farage for a gathering earlier this week.
Writing about it in British each day The Telegraph, Mr Farage confirmed that “the problem of cash was mentioned”, although the 2 couldn’t agree on the quantity in query by the tip of that assembly. “There will probably be ongoing negotiations on that rating,” Mr Farage added.
Sharing particulars in regards to the assembly, that can most definitely elevate eyebrows within the UK’s two principal political occasion places of work – The Labour Occasion, now in authorities and the Conservative Occasion, at present the opposition – Mr Farage talked about about Elon Musk’s disdain for each events. He said that Musk “described the Labour and Conservative events because the uniparty, and left us (Reform Occasion) in little question that he’s proper behind us.”
In his article Mr Farage additionally talked about that he goals to be taught from Elon Musk’s money incentives for individuals to be inspired to vote – a method that labored for Donald Trump’s Republican occasion through the US elections. Mr Farage said that “I’ve come house with copious notes on how they elevated turnout, voter registration, and a lot extra, and all of this I intend to implement as a part of the professionalisation of our occasion.”
Elon Musk is reportedly contemplating an preliminary donation of $100 million to Nigel Farage’s Reform Occasion. Chatting with the BBC, Mr Farage mentioned, “He desires to assist us, he is not against the thought of giving us cash supplied we will do it legally via UK corporations.”
Will probably be a steep ask for Mr Farage’s occasion to even consider profitable a basic election within the UK. In the newest elections held this yr, the Reform Occasion received simply 5 seats within the 650-seat UK Parliament. Nonetheless, it scores impressively by way of vote share, accounting for 14 per cent of all of the votes solid. Mr Farage hopes that with Musk’s assist – ethical and monetary – his occasion may simply do the unthinkable.
Concluding his article, Mr Farage wrote, “It’s heartening to hearken to Elon discuss UK politics with such deep care. He regards the mom nation of the English-speaking world as being in very deep bother.”
After their assembly, Mr Farage wrote on Musk’s social media platform X that “”Britain wants reform”, to which Elon Musk promptly replied “Completely”.
Completely
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 17, 2024
ELON MUSK’S CALL WITH UKRAINE’S ZELENSKY
Final month Elon Musk was with Donald Trump on the President-elect’s residence and luxurious resort Mar-a-Lago in Palm Seaside, Florida when Donald Trump and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke on the cellphone.
Throughout the cellphone name, Donald Trump reportedly handed the cellphone over to Elon Musk and supposedly requested the SpaceX founder to affix the decision with President Zelensky.
Elon Musk then reassured President Zelensky that he’ll proceed to assist Ukraine through his Starlink satellite tv for pc constellation. For the reason that Russian invasion in 2022, Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite tv for pc system has supplied Ukraine with important frontline benefit by permitting its armed forces to share real-time drone coordinates, knowledge and photographs between models. It additionally gave Ukraine’s army communications assist in areas the place cell phone networks had been destroyed.
FRIENDSHIP WITH ARGENTINA’S JAVIER MILEI
Argentinian President Javier Milei was reportedly one of many few world leaders to have been invited for Donald Trump’s swearing-in ceremony on January 20, 2025 – an invitation he has reportedly accepted. Elon Musk has been a really robust supporter of President Milei.
Actually, as per a report within the New York Occasions, in a video uploaded on social media platform X by Elon Musk himself, the tech billionaire claimed that watching President Milei’s speech was “higher than having intercourse”.
Elon Musk had even met President Milei when information of his electoral victory was confirmed. In a publish on X earlier than that assembly, Musk had written “Prosperity is forward for Argentina”.
It have to be famous that Argentina has giant deposits of Lithium, which is essential for Elon Musk’s EV firm Tesla.
In response to a report by CNN, Elon Musk is in talks with a minimum of a dozen different world leaders – for geopolitical causes in addition to for enterprise.
Solely time will unravel whether or not Elon Musk’s political outreach is restricted to simply pulling a number of strings, or will it end in him holding on to the very reins that may restructure world politics.
