Elon Musk

Through the lens of the war between Ukraine and Russia, The Wall Street Journal writes about Europe’s need to replace Starlink, with one quote neatly summing up why:

Trump’s pick to lead NASA, Jared Isaacman, found it strangely difficult to tell his Senate confirmation hearing whether Elon Musk was part of his job interview or not. That’s odd, because he must have met Musk — Isaacman funded, and flew on, two private spaceflights using Musk’s SpaceX craft.

In a letter to the White House, two Democrat Representatives express concern about the “significant ethical, security, and regulatory implications” of the federal government’s increased use of Elon Musk’s Starlink service, including the at the White House starting last month, reports FedScoop.

Just days after President Trump initiated broad tariffs that could raise the prices of most goods that Americans buy, Musk told Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini yesterday that he thinks there should “effectively” be a “free-trade zone between Europe and North America,” writes Bloomberg.

Reports of Elon Musk’s impending departure from the White House could not have been better timed for Tesla’s stock prices, which had started plummeting after its dismal Q1 report was released this morning. Within hours of the news breaking, the price not only recovered but surged an extra 5 percent. (As always when it comes to Musk’s relationship with the Trump administration, let’s see how long that surge lasts.)

As Wall Street Journal reporter Meghan Bobrowsky highlights, the valuations used for Elon Musk’s all-stock combo platter of X companies were negotiated in an... interesting way.

Is Tesla really cooked? Watch as The Verge transportation editor, Andrew Hawkins, walks us through how Elon Musk’s unprecedented takeover of the federal government has transformed public opinion of his car company into something increasingly toxic instead of futuristic, with some owners suddenly selling their cars even at a loss.

The original plan, according to reports from The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post, was to discuss plans for a potential war with China, among other topics, raising questions about Musk’s ever-expanding role in the executive branch and potential conflicts with his business interests. President Donald Trump denied the reports, saying “China will not even be mentioned or discussed,” and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said it would cover “innovation, efficiencies & smarter production.”

Tesla news lately includes a leader with a second or maybe seventh job in politics, protests, vandalism, a White House lawn advertisement, record high trade-in numbers, and a Cybertruck recall to fix glued-on trim pieces that can’t stay attached.

One of Tesla’s usually favorable Wall Street analysts, Dan Ives from Wedbush, published a note pleading with CEO Elon Musk to spend less time at DOGE. “Tesla and Musk are facing a defining chapter in their future and how Musk handles this next few months will be pivotal to the long term growth trajectory of Tesla in our view,” Ives wrote. Another thing Ives says Musk needs to do is prepare lower-cost vehicles for 2025.

Vivian Jenna Wilson, Elon Musk’s estranged daughter, doesn’t mince words in a new Teen Vogue profile when asked about her biological father. Musk has pushed anti-trans talking points, like saying his transgender child was “killed by the woke mind virus.”

Elon Musk has publicly railed against Delaware’s corporate law as its judges ruled against his wishes, moving the incorporation of Tesla and other companies out of state. Now, CNBC says a January WSJ report that Meta was considering moving its incorporation spurred immediate action from the governor on a new bill, SB 21, that might make its laws friendlier to folks like Musk and Mark Zuckerberg.

Investors have reportedly valued the social media giant at the same amount Elon Musk purchased it for in 2022, a sharp jump after it was deemed worth less than $10 billion in September 2024.

The Trump administration acknowledged in recent court filings that it had terminated nearly 25,000 workers across several agencies during its Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)-fueled cuts. Those workers are now being reinstated under a judge’s instructions. But many of those workers are still on administrative leave, and officials warn that if an appeals court reverses the temporary restraining order, “employees could be subjected to multiple changes in their employment status in a matter of weeks.”