Elon Musk
Stories involving Elon Musk and the companies he leads or owns: SpaceX, Starlink, Tesla, xAI and X.
Money and Conflicts of Interest 1
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Money and Conflicts of Interest
Musk's government business: Project Meridian, the $5.9 billion launch award, AI ceilings, and the favors that cost nothing
In 2025-2026 Musk's companies won a $5.92 billion anticipated-value launch contract and a $200 million AI ceiling alongside competitors, DOJ dropped a SpaceX hiring case, and Musk joined a Pentagon warfare study.
Government and Oversight 2
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Government and Oversight
DOGE's receipts and DOGE's data: what the audits and court filings actually show
DOGE's savings claims carried documented errors ($8 billion listed for an $8 million contract), a 2026 GAO audit found most savings unverifiable, and a January 2026 court filing described unauthorized SSA data handling.
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Government and Oversight
Musk and the SEC: the 2018 'funding secured' penalties, the 2026 Twitter-disclosure settlement, and a $2.37 billion partisan estimate
Musk and Tesla each paid $20 million to settle the 2018 'funding secured' case; in 2026 a Musk trust paid $1.5 million to settle the SEC's Twitter-disclosure suit, approved despite the judge's 'significant misgivings'.
Defense and Security 1
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Defense and Security
Trump's sons bet on defense tech while their father's Pentagon spends: what the records show
A Washington Post analysis found companies backed by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump won at least $3.2 billion in direct federal business and $3.1 billion in options after they invested; officials and firms deny favoritism.
Foreign Policy 1
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Foreign Policy
Starlink and Ukraine: the 2022 shutdown report, the October 2026 slowdown, and who had the switch
Reuters reported Musk ordered Starlink cut over parts of Ukraine in 2022 (SpaceX disputes it); in October 2026 Ukraine's Starlink and Starshield links were throttled for over a week until service returned October 24.
Elections and Democracy 2
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Elections and Democracy
Musk's political money: at least $288 million in 2024, and a new wave for the 2026 midterms
FEC-based tallies put Musk's 2024 election spending at $259 million (Reuters, Dec 2024) and at least $288 million (Washington Post, Jan 2025); separate 2026 midterm tallies range from $366 million to more than $445 million.
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Elections and Democracy
Musk and the 2024 vote: the $1 million giveaway settlement, Grok's false ballot deadlines, and what the St. Clair texts do and do not show
Musk and America PAC agreed on October 15, 2026 to settle two class actions over the 2024 $1 million voter giveaways on undisclosed terms; in 2024 Grok spread false ballot-deadline information for about ten days.
Rights, Speech and Courts 1
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Rights, Speech and Courts
X Corp. v. Center for Countering Digital Hate: dismissed in 2024 as a case 'about punishing the defendants for their speech,' argued on appeal September 30, 2026, decision pending
A judge dismissed X's suit against a hate-speech research group in March 2024 as a case about punishing speech; the Ninth Circuit heard X's appeal on September 30, 2026 and has not ruled.