Elon Musk , the executive of multiple companies , has engaged in numerous political activities, and more recently supported right-leaning or far-right candidates and parties. Historically, Musk donated to both Democrats and Republicans , [ 3 ] many of whom serve in states in which he has a vested interest, [ 4 ] and was a registered independent voter when he lived in California. While previously considered relatively apolitical and moderate , Musk has become more vocal about his views and has been generally described as right-wing and conservative, [ 20 ] while rejecting the conservative label.
Musk became a U. From to , Musk flew to Washington, D. Speaking to Kara Swisher in September , Musk considered voting for Trump if Joe Biden was not a viable candidate, [ 36 ] though he later said he voted for Biden. During his speech, Musk clasped his right hand against his chest and raised out his arm above his head with his palm facing down, and turned around to perform the gesture to the audience behind him before saying, "My heart goes out to you.
A website had been established collecting voters's information and encouraging them to vote. In August , Musk held a discussion on X Spaces with Trump in which he suggested a "government efficiency commission" that he would serve on to ensure taxes were spent appropriately, an idea that Trump supported. In the days leading up to Trump's inauguration, representatives from the Department of Government Efficiency were sent to several federal agencies.
Each federal agency will be assigned a "DOGE team" of special government employees , a classification of temporary workers. Following the Argentine general election , Musk congratulated Javier Milei for his victory, writing that "prosperity is ahead for Argentina".
Musk's companies, including Tesla and SpaceX , have faced stiff competition in China, where Musk has sought to develop his ventures. The Taiwanese government began discussing the use of Starlink in the country in , but discussions later faltered after SpaceX representatives pressured government officials to change a majority ownership law requiring telecommunications ventures to be owned by a local business. According to Bloomberg News , Musk sought to own the entire venture. In November , Chunghwa Telecom announced a partnership with the French satellite operator Eutelsat.
