Why Elon Musk is the actual winner of the 2024 US Presidential election – Cyber Tech

UPDATE: Nov. 13, 2024, 1:01 p.m. EST This text was up to date to mirror Musk’s current appointment because the chief of the Division of Authorities Effectivity.

Donald Trump might have gained the 2024 presidential election, however Elon Musk might find yourself being the larger winner than the soon-to-be forty seventh President of the US.

Musk wager massive on Trump and spent hundreds of thousands to again him. Nevertheless, Musk wasn’t simply doing this out of the kindness of his coronary heart. A lot of Musk’s corporations. together with Tesla, SpaceX, X (previously Twitter), xAI, The Boring Firm, and Neuralink, closely depend on authorities contracts and subsidies. They’ve made billions in federal {dollars}.

Musk’s wager has paid off. For the reason that election, Musk has been an everyday determine in Trump’s orbit. He reportedly made additional inroads with Trump and deepened his affect by way of making coverage and appointment solutions. Musk was even on a telephone name made after the election between Trump and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy.

However, how will Musk play a distinguished position in politics and the Trump administration whereas nonetheless operating his companies? It seems that Musk will assemble an “A-Staff” to behave as his mouthpiece in authorities. 

Musk’s A-Staff

“America’s A crew is often constructing corporations within the non-public sector,” Musk posted on X simply days after Trump’s electoral win final Tuesday. “As soon as in a very long time, reforming authorities is essential sufficient that the A crew allocates time to authorities. That is that point.”

Tweet might have been deleted

Musk seems to be positioning himself to encourage Trump to carry his trusted workers and allies into the administration, aiming to safe favorable outcomes for his ventures.

In keeping with the Monetary Instances, a number of the seemingly names that Musk will float embrace people like Steve Davis, president of The Boring Firm, Musk’s tunneling firm that’s ranked as one of many worst for office security. Davis performed an essential position with Musk’s pro-Trump lobbying group America Pac this 12 months. Davis was additionally the important thing determine Musk relied on to chop 80 % of then-Twitter’s workers shortly after Musk acquired the platform now often known as X.

Musk will seemingly additionally flip to Omead Afshar, who helped Musk with Twitter layoffs and the reducing of 14,000 jobs at Tesla earlier this 12 months.

Musk’s most trusted affiliate Jared Birchall will seemingly additionally play a job in Trump’s administration, if Musk has any sway. Birchall has been known as Musk’s right-hand man and runs his household workplace whereas additionally working straight with Musk’s xAI, Neuralink, and The Boring Firm. Birchall additionally performed a serious position in Musk’s Twitter acquisition.

SpaceX might profit essentially the most

The Musk firm with essentially the most to achieve from relaxed laws and favorable authorities contracts is his area exploration firm SpaceX. In keeping with the New York Instances, Musk requested Trump to contemplate SpaceX workers for positions with the Division of Protection, together with Senior Vice President for International Enterprise and Affairs Tim Hughes, former Air Pressure normal and SpaceX advisor Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy, and Senior Director of Authorities Affairs Mathew Dunn.

Whereas Tesla already advantages from tax credit, Musk’s EV firm will discover itself additional wrapped up in regulatory points because it appears to push the autonomous driving capabilities of its deliberate robotaxi. Whereas most of those conflicts are on the state stage, Musk might look to leverage the federal authorities to exert stress on these regulators. Peter Scheutzow, Tesla’s head of autopilot and AI, and security chief Suraj Nagaraj, are additionally potential Musk-backed candidates for roles inside the administration.

And, after all, no checklist of potential Musk candidates can be full with out his fellow Silicon Valley elites. Enterprise capitalists and hedge funders like David Sacks, Jason Calacanis, and Invoice Ackman have all turn out to be extra energetic in pro-Musk politics on-line and will definitely play a job in a Trump administration. Musk’s weapon-tech buddies like Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale and Anduril co-founder Palmer Luckey may additionally probably discover a place inside Trump’s Division of Protection.

No matter who Trump picks, issues inside the U.S. authorities are trying superb for Elon Musk within the coming years – so long as he stays on Trump’s good aspect.

Division of Authorities Effectivity

UPDATE: Nov. 13, 2024, 12:04 p.m. EST Simply days after this piece was initially printed, Trump formally introduced the Division of Authorities Effectivity, headed up by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.

Along with pushing for Trump to decide on his appointment suggestions, it seems Musk already bought his dream governmental job – a place technically outdoors of presidency so he does not should divest from his corporations.

The Division of Authorities Effectivity or “DOGE” is not an actual authorities company. It’s a brief group, with a deadline set by Trump for July 2026, that may present cost-cutting suggestions geared toward attaining “a smaller Authorities, with extra effectivity and fewer paperwork.”

Its arduous to think about that Musk’s suggestions will not embrace slashing laws and governmental companies that stand in the way in which of his corporations making much more cash.