Elon Musk, billionaire entrepreneur and CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, has been embroiled in controversy over his alleged ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his support for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
(The Post News)- Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has found himself at the center of a new controversy following reports of his alleged regular contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Wall Street Journal story, which has been denied by the Kremlin, comes as Musk faces scrutiny over his support for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
Musk, 53, has been an avid supporter of Trump, donating $118 million to his personal pro-Trump political action committee and appearing on stage with the Republican presidential candidate at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Musk’s support for Trump has raised eyebrows, particularly given his previous backing of Barack Obama.
However, Musk’s alleged conversations with Putin have sparked concerns about national security. According to The Wall Street Journal, the conversations between Musk and Putin touched on “personal topics, business and geopolitical tensions.” The report also claims that Putin asked Musk to avoid activating his Starlink satellite internet service over Taiwan as a favor to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has denied the report, stating that it is “absolutely false information.” Peskov did acknowledge that Putin had one contact with Musk before 2022, describing it as a “fact-finding conversation” about futuristic technology.
Musk has also faced criticism over his daily $1 million giveaways to registered voters, which some have deemed potentially illegal. Federal law prohibits paying people to register to vote, and the Justice Department’s public integrity unit has reportedly warned Musk’s America PAC that the sweepstakes may violate federal law.
The controversy surrounding Musk’s alleged Putin ties and Trump support has sparked heated debate. Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz has accused Musk of “spending millions of dollars to help Donald Trump buy an election.” Trump has pledged to tap Musk to head a “government efficiency commission” if he wins the election.
Musk’s influence on social media has also been a subject of concern. With over 202 million followers on X, Musk regularly posts political messages championing Trump and denigrating his opponent, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. Many of his posts have been criticized for spreading discredited conspiracy theories and promoting anti-immigrant rhetoric.
As the November election approaches, Musk’s role in shaping public opinion has become increasingly significant. While his support for Trump has been well-documented, the alleged conversations with Putin have raised questions about his motivations and potential conflicts of interest.
In response to the controversy, Musk has maintained that his companies have done more to undermine Russia than any other entity. During a streamed event on X, Musk stated that SpaceX has taken away two-thirds of Russia’s space launch business and that Starlink has overwhelmingly helped Ukraine.
The debate surrounding Musk’s influence and allegiances will likely continue as the election draws near. As one of the richest individuals in the world, Musk’s actions have significant implications for global politics and national security.
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