Hey, everybody. Welcome back to the Elon Musk Podcast. This is a show where we discuss the critical crossroads that shape SpaceX, Tesla X, The Boring Company, and Neurolink. I'm your host, Will Walden. How would a Trump presidency potentially benefit Elon Musk? And also, could Musk gain even greater influence over U.S. policy? And what specific impact might Musk's alliance with Trump have on Tesla, SpaceX and his other
ventures? Now, Elon Musk, who has spent election night alongside Donald Trump at Mar A Lago, has expressed clear enthusiasm about the former president's return to the White House after Trump's victory. Musk took to X writing. The people of America gave at real Donald Trump a clear, crystal clear mandate for change tonight. Now, Musk's endorsement of Trump reflects a major shift for the billionaire entrepreneur, who had previously described himself as a politically moderate.
Now, in his victory speech, Trump signaled that Musk had spent a lot of time with him and he talked about his achievements, especially with SpaceX. And as a result, Tesla's stock saw a significant jump, with its price rising by over 12% the day after Trump's victory was
confirmed. Now, the game boosted Musk's net worth, which now stands at an estimated $290 billion, highlighting the immediate financial impact of Musk's alliance with Trump. Now, Musk's financial support for Trump's campaign has been extensive, though we donated more than $119,000,000 to a pro Trump super PAC in a direct attempt to sway voters in Trump's favor.
No. In addition, Musk funded a large Get Out the Vote campaign across key battleground states, offering daily giveaways of $1,000,000 to incentivize participation, a tactic that eventually survived a legal challenge. Now Musk's alliance with Trump, however, extends beyond monetary contributions. Trump announced he would consider appointing Musk as head of a newly imagined Department of Government Efficiency if he
takes office now. Musk has expressed a vision for this role as a streamline agency to cut down bureaucratic waste, and he jokingly dubbed it DOGE, referencing a popular meme and cryptocurrency he's promoted. Now, SpaceX stands as one of the biggest potential beneficiaries of Musk's strength and ties. With Trump. Already a dominant player in U.S. government contracts for space projects, SpaceX could further expand its hold on contracts for defense and
intelligence satellites. With Trump in office, SpaceX could deepen its connections to government agencies like NASA and the Pentagon, which already rely heavily on SpaceX for critical missions. Now, Musk has openly criticized competitors, particularly Boeing, for the reliance on traditional government contract structures that he claims led to budget overruns and delayed project completions.
And if Trump implements a more streamlined government contract system, Musk SpaceX, known for faster, more cost effective projects, could see even more opportunities to increase its market share. Now Tesla is another Musk LED enterprise positioned to benefit under Trump's potential administration. In campaign promises, Trump has outlined the goal of reducing regulatory constraints on corporations, which could have direct implications for Tesla's
operations. With Trump's support, Musk may have to leverage to secure a lowest regulatory burden environment that he argues could accelerate Tesla's innovation now. Shortly before the election, the National Hwy. Traffic Safety Administration began investigating Tesla's self driving software, which Musk has touted as the future of autonomous vehicles.
And if Trump takes office, Musk may push for a reduction in regulatory scrutiny over Tesla's driving assistance systems, including Autopilot and Full Self Driving. Now, a single federal standard for autonomous vehicles could offer Tesla an advantage in rapidly deploying this technology. Currently, regulations vary widely from state to state, which Musk has criticized as an obstacle to the widespread adoption of autonomous
technology. And a Trump LED government that sets a unified framework would reduce compliance hurdles and simplify Tesla's rollout process across multiple states. Now, Elon Musk's latest project, the Cyber Cab has no steering wheel or pedals, may require federal waivers to proceed with
production. By aligning himself with Trump, Musk could gain the influence needed to secure favorable policies for autonomous vehicle production, potentially allowing Tesla to introduce innovations ahead of his competition. Now, Musk's Neuralink, focused on developing brain implants, could also stand to gain under Trump. Musk has frequently criticized the FDA for what he describes as its overly slow approval process.
In a Trump administration, Musk may seek to influence the FDA to expedite approvals, which he argues would accelerate the pace of innovation for technologies like Neuralink's brain interfaces. Now, inside Musk's companies, employees are already discussing how a Trump administration could
impact regulatory processes. Sources familiar with neural links operations say some employees believe that Musk could push for a looser regulatory framework within the FDA, even to the extent of seeking to remove FDA officials he deems inefficient, a move that would likely be controversial. Now, the Trump administration can also have wider implications from Musk's overall regulatory
landscape. Sources from within Musk companies describe a de enforcement strategy aiming to reduce federal oversights on all of Elon Musk's operations. For example, Musk's emphasis on efficiency aligns with Trump's intent to reduce regulatory friction, which could ultimately reduce oversight on companies like Tesla and SpaceX.
Now SpaceX, despite its prominence in federal contracts, has at times faced scrutiny over workplace safety practices, now an investigation that happened last year by Reuters with 600 worker injuries at SpaceX facilities.
The federal agencies have refrained from significant enforcements of these actions, though, so ministry and signers attribute this to the government's dependence on SpaceX for critical operations, which is a reliance that could deepen if Musk's influence grows under Trump. Spacex's contracts with NASA represent a substantial investment from the US government, estimated to about
$15 billion or over. And this interdependence has led to a dynamic where, as one federal official put it, NASA needs SpaceX more than SpaceX needs NASA. With Musk's expanded influence, government agencies may become more inclined to favor SpaceX over its competitors, particularly in high stakes projects like intelligence and defense satellite networks. And Musk's ventures collectively hold a prominent position in areas where government contracts, subsidies, and regulation intersect.
His vocal opposition to what he considers stifling regulations has made him a natural ally to Trump's regulatory agenda. And if Trump wins, Musk's power in sectors ranging from autos to space to biotech could set a precedent reminiscent of America's Gilded Age, where industry leaders exerted considerable control over public policy. Now, a supporter of Musk's strategy believe his relationship with Trump could transform the US government to operate with the agility of a start up.
Now there's this venture capitalist from Silicon Valley. Shervin Pishvar, also a SpaceX investor, sees Musk's potential influence as a pathway the scale Spacex's mission of reaching Mars and beyond. They describe Musk as someone who could make America function like a start up, viewing Musk's potential government role as pivotal for a streamlined regulatory environment. And with Musk's alliance with Trump, it's seen as advantageous for his businesses.
There's concerns about the potential risks of easing oversight and industries with high stakes safety risks. A former SpaceX official cautioned that regulatory laxity in the high risk sector of rocket building could lead to severe consequences, potentially sending back industry progress. And such risks under score the potential trade-offs in Musk's
push for deregulation. Now Elon Musk's aligned with Trump suggests a clear departure from his prior image as an environmental innovator focused on clean energy. Once seen as a key advocate for fighting climate change, Musk now leads a new class of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs pushing for a libertarian approach to governance critical of what he calls the Woke Mind virus. And he associates with the traditional liberal ideas of the region.
The broader trend of Musk's political involvement points to a rising class of tech billionaires with increasing influence over policy. Musk advocacy for deregulation, combined with his substantial campaign funding, signals an era where the interests of tech giants are more aligned with government power than ever before. Now, if Trump's promises materialize, Musk's empire may grow to hold an unprecedented level of sway over U.S. government policy and economic regulations.
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