Elon Musk is actually in charge of overseeing his own potential conflicts of interest

The White House does not seem concerned about Elon Musk’s loyalty, as he was recently named a “Special Government Employee”, while being granted total autonomy to oversee his own conflicts of interest. 

This announcement, perceived as surprising and concerning, has provoked strong reactions and raised many questions.

While Elon Musk now oversees the reduction of the government’s “unnecessary expenses,” his own companies have largely benefited from public funds.

Elon Musk, through his company Tesla, received a loan of 465 million dollars in 2010 from the Department of Energy and a tax credit of 1.4 billion dollars from Nevada in 2014 for his Gigafactory.

SpaceX has secured a contract worth nearly 3 billion dollars with NASA for a lunar module and over 650 million dollars with the US Air Force.

As a “Special Government Employee,” Elon Musk finds himself in an unprecedented position, granting him oversight power over government finances and efficiency, while maintaining direct interests in sectors heavily supported by public funds. 

This situation raises a major risk of conflicts of interest, potentially allowing him to favor his own businesses while reducing or eliminating the subsidies granted to his competitors in the United States.

Among the main competitors involved, Tesla could benefit from an advantage in electric vehicle subsidies, to the detriment of Rivian and Lucid Motors. 

SpaceX could more easily access space contracts, sidelining rivals like Blue Origin (founded by Jeff Bezos) and United Launch Alliance (ULA). 

On its part, Starlink could consolidate its dominant position by limiting access to public funding for competitors such as HughesNet and Viasat in the satellite internet sector.

The recent appointments of Elon Musk within the U.S. government have sparked significant protests, bringing together hundreds of demonstrators supported by Democratic lawmakers. They denounce his growing influence over federal finances. At the same time, his popularity is declining, with only 40% favorable opinions, according to a Wall Street Journal poll.