In Saudi Arabia, Elon Musk has also made a deal for himself
16 May 2025 10:53
Elon Musk has announced that Saudi Arabia will authorize the use of Starlink services from his SpaceX company for aviation and maritime shipping. The announcement came on the heels of the signing of investment agreements worth about $600 billion during President Donald Trump’s visit to the kingdom, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports citing Bloomberg.
The billionaire announced the good news at a summit in Riyadh attended by dozens of American executives, including the heads of tech giants – CEO of OpenAI Inc. Sam Altman and Amazon.com Inc. Andy Jesse.
Musk also said that he had demonstrated his Tesla Optimus robots to President and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who performed the “Trump dance” during Tuesday’s meetings.
The world’s richest man presented services from across his business empire, including robotaxi projects and The Boring Company tunnels, as part of his vision to improve life in Saudi Arabia. However, it is not yet known what the Saudis liked about it.
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Elon Musk, who got into government contracts as an official
Musk, who serves as an advisor to the US President and oversees the government’s cost-cutting initiative, is actively promoting his technology. Thus, the Democratic Republic of Congo allowed Starlink to operate on its territory this month. The company is also negotiating a €1.5 billion deal with Italy to deploy the system for government and military communications.
In the Middle East, Qatar, Bahrain, and Jordan have already authorized the use of Starlink. Last year, Qatar Airways began introducing satellite Internet for passengers on its Boeing 777 aircraft. It is not yet clear whether the use of Starlink in Saudi Arabia will extend beyond airborne Wi-Fi and maritime shipping, including access for private users.
In the United States, SpaceX won a $5.9 billion Department of Defense contract to launch reconnaissance satellites, gained Republican support for a larger role in the Rural Broadband Initiative, and is deploying terminals to support the Federal Aviation Administration.
Musk is apparently reaching these agreements while traveling around the world as part of government delegations. It seems that not only Trump, but also American prosecutors are not interested in the issue of conflict of interest in his activities.
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Elon Musk is the world’s biggest victim of Trump’s trade wars
Tesla was losing ground on the market, with its share price dropping to $272. Today, the company’s share is worth $342. This is still far from the all-time high, but we can say that after the big fall, Musk has gained a lot back and as of today, his wealth is estimated at a decent $420 billion.
It is likely that Musk is much more astute, and thanks to US government contracts, this temporary drop will turn into another rise to trillion-dollar figures.
Elon Musk is a visionary entrepreneur and lover of Russia
Elon Musk is one of the most influential entrepreneurs of our time, the founder and CEO of many innovative companies such as Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and Boring Company. He was born on June 28, 1971 in Pretoria, South Africa. After moving to the United States, he became a pioneer in the field of electric vehicles, space technology, and artificial intelligence. Musk is often in the spotlight for his ambitious goals, including the colonization of Mars, the development of renewable energy, and the creation of neurocomputer interfaces.
Musk is also known for his active stance on social media, where he often posts controversial statements. In 2022, he acquired the Twitter platform, which he later renamed X. Musk takes a libertarian stance on Internet regulation and freedom of speech, opposing government interference in the activities of tech giants.
Musk plays a prominent role in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war. His company SpaceX provides the Ukrainian Armed Forces with access to the Starlink satellite Internet, which has provided critical communications at the front. However, some of his public statements have caused outrage among Ukrainians and the international community. For example, Musk proposed “peace initiatives” that included territorial concessions to Ukraine, which was perceived as support for the Kremlin’s narrative. Elon Musk was accused of having secret contacts with Putin, and he also ridiculed Zelenskyy’s statement about Ukraine’s independence.
After Trump came to power and got a position in his administration, Musk took an openly anti-Ukrainian position. Today, Musk is an active supporter of Trump’s pro-Kremlin policies. He calls President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy a dictator and an extortionist from the United States and opposes any assistance to Ukraine in the war with Russia.
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