In a whirlwind of diplomatic encounters, Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest individual, has found himself in high demand among global leaders.
From Emmanuel Macron to Narendra Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu, a parade of foreign dignitaries scheduled meetings with the mercurial billionaire during their recent visits to the United States, often at the White House’s invitation.
This year alone, the world’s richest man has met with, to name a few, the heads of France, Italy, India, South Korea – and Turkey and Israel in just the past two days.
Yet, while the billionaire is more highly sought after than ever, ironically, there is no love lost between him and the Biden administration.
So what has got his watchers worried?
Well, as the outspoken contrarian’s political reach expands, including his opinions on sensitive geopolitical issues, there is growing unease for some over Musk’s increasing power and access.
In The Hot Seat With World Leaders
The world leaders are deeply interested in wooing Musk; their agendas ranged from seeking economic investments in Tesla factories to discussing SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet services, artificial intelligence, and even Musk’s own platform, formerly known as Twitter.
French President Macron, in particular, has met Musk not once but thrice since December, hoping to secure a new Tesla gigafactory in his country.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan followed suit, eager for Musk’s attention.
Even Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu crossed the Atlantic for a conversation on artificial intelligence with the tech magnate.
However, these discussions occurred amid growing concerns over Musk’s handling of hate speech and moderation on his platform, X and Musk’s simmering feud with the Anti-Defamation League, the Jewish civil rights organisation.
Musk even had a sit-down with Indian PM Modi in June, which came on the heels of ex-Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s allegation that the Indian government had threatened to shut down the site if it did not comply with orders to take down content.
The pre-Musk days of the company had largely pushed back against such demands, but Musk said he could not do so.
“If we don’t obey local government laws, we will get shut down so the best we can do is to hew close to the law in any given country, but it is impossible for us to do more than that or we’ll be blocked and our people will be arrested,” he told reporters after the Modi meeting.
Musk Growing Political Aspirations
Musk’s expansion into global politics has sparked unease among some observers who worry about the extent of his influence.
While these meetings apparently revolve around Musk’s business interests, his recent statements have raised eyebrows and fueled criticism.
His comments on Taiwan’s status within the “One-China” policy left Taiwanese officials displeased and led some to question his willingness to acquiesce to other countries’ demands, even those in opposition to U.S. interests.
Just last week, the Taiwanese officials were left fuming with Musk’s apparently offhand comments on Beijing’s ‘One-China’ policy, suggesting the self-governed island is “analogous to like Hawaii or something like that, an integral part of China that is arbitrarily not part of China”.
Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu shot back on X: “Listen up, Taiwan is not part of the PRC & certainly not for sale!”
The spat fueled claims by Musk critics that he is quick to agree to the demands of other countries, even when they are US adversaries.
Then there is the Starlink controversy – that the entrepreneur “secretly told his engineers to turn off coverage” to prevent a Ukrainian sneak attack on the Russian naval fleet in Crimea – concerned US allies.
“Hope Elon Musk can also ask the CCP to open X to its people,” Mr Wu wrote. “Perhaps he thinks banning it is a good policy, like turning off Starlink to thwart Ukraine’s counterstrike against Russia.”
But amid solid pushback from Musk, author Walter Isaacson began walking back the claim as his book was hitting shelves, writing on X that Starlink coverage up to Crimea was never, in fact, enabled.
However, the Isaacson book claims elsewhere that, before Musk made his decision, Russia’s ambassador to the US “explicitly told him that a Ukrainian attack on Crimea would lead to a nuclear response”.
And after he tweeted a peace proposal last year that led one Ukrainian official to question whether he had “been hacked by Russians”, political scientist Ian Bremmer dropped a bombshell on X.
“Elon Musk told me he had spoken with Putin and the Kremlin directly about Ukraine. He also told me what the Kremlin’s red lines were,” he wrote.
Mr Musk denied the allegation, but Mr Bremmer doubled down: “I’ve long admired Musk as a unique and world-changing entrepreneur, which I’ve said publicly. He’s not a geopolitics expert.”
Meanwhile, the relationship between Musk and the Biden administration has been frosty, with the White House often avoiding mention of Tesla in discussions about the electric vehicle industry.
When asked if Musk was a threat to US national security, President Biden replied that his “cooperation and/or technical relationships with other countries is worthy of being looked at”.
Simultaneously, Musk engages in online spats with top Democrats, professes his inability to support the party any longer, and flirts with potential Republican presidential candidates.
His growing wealth and evolving political stance have transformed him from a genius innovator into a polarizing figure, partly due to his controversial online persona.
Despite Musk’s public image, some argue that his unique combination of physical infrastructure (factories and employees) and digital control (information dissemination) sets him apart from other tech titans.
Still, concerns persist about his unilateral decision-making power and its geopolitical consequences, raising questions about wealth concentration and its implications for democracy.
As Musk continues to navigate the intersection of technology, business, and politics, the world watches with a mix of fascination and apprehension.
The Last Bit, Elon Musk’s journey from a visionary entrepreneur to a player on the global diplomatic stage is symbolic of the interconnectedness of technology, business, and politics in the 21st century.
His interactions with world leaders have opened doors for economic opportunities and technological advancements, but they have also raised questions about the concentration of power and the role of unelected figures in shaping geopolitical landscapes.
As Musk continues to navigate this complex terrain, his actions and words will be scrutinized not only for their impact on his companies but also for their consequences on international relations.
The story of Elon Musk’s global diplomacy is still unfolding, and it indicates that in an era of rapid technological change, the boundaries between innovation and influence are more blurred than ever before.
