Musk\u2019s company once again found itself in the spotlight in recent weeks as investors have speculated<\/a> about a potential merger with Tesla, the second-most valuable part of the tech mogul\u2019s empire. Musk has also been at the center of geopolitical tensions after Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine\u2019s president, last week accused SpaceX of restricting access<\/a> to its military-grade Starlink internet service.<\/p>\n The disruption in service to StarShield allegedly led to several failed Ukrainian combat missions<\/a> and left the country more vulnerable to Russian drone attacks, as well as highlighted how global internet infrastructure has come to rely on Musk\u2019s products<\/a>. Musk denied responsibility for the disruption, stating that StarShield was controlled by the US government, not SpaceX. The White House has likewise denied hobbling StarShield.<\/p>\n While SpaceX\u2019s role in international affairs faces scrutiny, Musk has taken on a resurgent role in US domestic politics. The world\u2019s richest person has contributed $366m in political spending<\/a> this election cycle, backing Republican-aligned Super Pacs and pouring money into influencing key midterm races. Musk also agreed earlier this month to co-lead a Pentagon project<\/a> on the future of warfare, bringing him back into government work after his time as the de facto leader of the so-called \u201cdepartment of government efficiency\u201d (Doge).<\/p>\n Musk recently pledged to give every child in the US one of his SpaceX stocks next year, which Donald Trump stated would be facilitated through the president\u2019s \u201cTrump accounts\u201d initiative<\/a> that creates savings plans for children. The prospective share giveaway is a rare display of philanthropy from Musk, who has criticized traditional aid organizations and has taken credit for dismantling the world\u2019s largest single provider of humanitarian aid by gutting the government agency USAID.<\/p>\n \u201cGiving shares, which are stakes in the future economy, directly to the people is the way,\u201d Musk posted on X, the social media company he owns.<\/p>\n Tech leaders such as Musk have faced increasing public pushback over their extraordinary accumulation of wealth and power in the US, while this year AI firms OpenAI and Anthropic both announced big investments to their grant-making and non-profit arms. Musk\u2019s announcement came after Anthropic announced earlier this week that it plans to donate 5% of its shares to a newly created public benefit<\/a> fund within the company.<\/p>\n
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