Conflict of interest

By Matthieu Le Gall

There was a time, not so long ago, when Elon Musk had nothing but contempt for Donald Trump. A time when the Republican president considered the boss of Tesla as a real « artiste » in matters of “bullshit”. Between the New York tycoon relocated to Mar-a-Lago and the South African who became king of Silicon Valley, a continent of incomprehension.

The two men are today the best friends in the world. Elon Musk raised $200 million to finance Donald Trump's victorious campaign. In return, the latter offered him a position as special advisor responsible for “governmental efficiency”. The “deal”, welcomed in France by the Minister of the Civil Service Guillaume Kasbarian and the president of the Île-de-France region Valérie Pécresse – who we know was more inspired – indeed oozes conflict of interest.

Tesla and SpaceX, the two flagships of the Musk empire, have benefited from several billion dollars in public subsidies. All the contracts signed between NASA and SpaceX over the last ten years reach the astronomical amount of 11.8 billion dollars. Let us therefore be allowed to doubt the probity of Elon Musk when it comes to cleaning up American federal agencies.

Silicon Valley connoisseurs observe with skepticism the rapprochement of two great egocentrics, already predicting a disastrous epilogue to their sudden romance. Donald Trump doesn't like to appear impressionable. Elon Musk serves his interests. Both men thrive on light, but there is only one place in the sun.