Elon Musk – What makes Elon Musk so powerful?
This post was written by a student. It has not been fact checked or edited.
Elon Musk – A global threat?
Recently, Elon Musk has been getting a lot of attention in the news – supporting a German far-right party, getting a position in the US government, and many more. Naturally, many people might ask themselves how big of a problem Musk is – or will be.
Firstly, it is important to mention how much influence Musk has through social media. Being the owner of X (previously Twitter) and having a huge presence on the platform, he can reach millions of users and influence or change their opinions, which already makes him immensely powerful – regardless of his intentions. His social media influence is further supported by the fact that he sympathizes with Donald Trump, thus drawing many Republican supporters to his side as well.
Additionally, as the world’s richest person (Owning huge companies like SpaceX, Tesla and more), he can buy everything he wants, giving him an enormous economic influence.
Finally, Musk has a position in the US government (in the DOGE, Department of Government efficiency), allowing him to directly influence US politics in his favour. This is especially disadvantageous because he shows several signs of being a far-right supporter, for example during his speech at Trump’s inauguration, as well as his interview with German far-right politician Alice Weidel (AfD). During the interview, Weidel made several claims of misinformation, while being supported by Musk and a crowd of viewers.
On X, Musk also publicly supported the AfD (Weidel’s far-right party), helping it reach 20,8% in the federal elections on February 23, thus giving it a lot of power in the German government, also possibly endangering democracy in Germany.
However, one argument someone might make against Elon Musk’s threat is his help in progressing technology and Space Travel. While it is true that he has made progress in those areas, one should not ignore his other activities – as they are threatening democracy in Germany and are polarising the US.
In summary, one thing is clear: Elon Musk’s power is a threat; but that raises another question: can he be stopped? And if yes, how?
Comments (1)
Elon Musk certainly belongs to the smallest, wealthiest, and most powerful group of entrepreneurs in the world. Indeed, he has launched a whole series of ventures, almost all of which have achieved a leading position. There is, for example, Tesla’s leading role in electric cars, SpaceX’s massive role in the conquest of space, and his social media platform, X. What makes him so powerful is his constant innovation, always staying one step ahead of others. Thus, it is possible to say that he is managing to turn entire industries upside down with his entrepreneurial ideas, which have today surpassed all competition. Nowadays, billions of people, or at least a large part of humanity, are impacted by something he produces. In addition to being the richest billionaire entrepreneur, he is also a close ally of President Donald Trump. His position has enabled him to shape political narratives, endorse candidates, and influence public discourse, making this relationship an asset for him. Indeed, the relationship between Trump and Musk is beneficial for both of them in separates ways. Musk has for example helped him for the presidential elections and because he is the most influential business figure, he helps Trump to have a good image on multiples platforms. In the other way, it is an asset for Musk because he can take advantage of a political leverage or business- friendly policies without counting the media boost he can have.
To conclude, Elon Musk is completely at the center of the news on different levels clearly reflecting his influence these days.