Musk’s Outrageous Conflicts of Interest
Elections & Politics #177 | By: Mindy Spatt | March 20, 2025
Distaste for Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is fueling protests at Tesla showrooms, a boycott of the company’s cars, and a rapidly deteriorating stock price. But Musk can easily make up the losses from the federal government he is gleefully gutting. Musk is poised to continue making billions from federal subsidies and contracts despite the obvious ethical problems.
Analysis
As Elon Musk slashes public programs, threatens social security, and preens and prances at Trump’s side, public outrage grows. Tesla’s stock is plummeting, and protests at Tesla showrooms are escalating in number and intensity. In San Francisco, a few hundred protestors who converged at the Tesla showroom appeared to have the support of most of the pedestrians passing by, who gave them a thumbs-up, and the cars and trucks driving by honked their approval. Even at Tesla’s hometown headquarters in Palo Alto, protesters marching to the building on “buy nothing” day in February were encouraged by much of the traffic going by with honks of support.
In some cases, Tesla cars have been targeted; three Tesla vehicles at a Dedham, Massachusetts, Tesla dealership were vandalized and defaced with spray paint.
More than a dozen shots were fired at a Tesla dealership in Tigard, Oregon, the second such incident at that location in one week, causing damage to cars and store windows. The protests have spread overseas as well 20 Teslas in Belfast had their wing mirrors knocked off, windows smashed, or bodywork dented.
Many Tesla owners have had their cars vandalized, prompting some to put bumper stickers on them disavowing Musk. Trump has taken notice of the protests and losses and filmed a commercial in front of the white house on his billionaire buddy’s behalf, extolling the virtues of Tesla. His affection doesn’t stop there. Attorney General and Trump loyalist Pam Bondi said she is opening an investigation into instances of vandalism at Tesla dealerships just days after President Donald Trump threatened that protesters would go through “hell” and be considered “domestic terrorists.”
Trump needn’t worry about Elon, who remains the richest man in the world and likely to get richer. In his new job as head of DOGE, he can continue to rake in billions of dollars from the federal government even as he slashes the workforce, foreign aid, veteran benefits, school lunches, and anything else he can get his greedy little hands on. According to the Washington Post, Musk’s companies have already received $38 Billion in government support, including NASA’s investment of $15 Billion in SpaceX and $11 Billion in electric car subsidies for Tesla.
SpaceX has benefitted from more than $17 billion in federal contracts since 2015 and was selected a year ago to build a vehicle to bring the International Space Station out of its orbit in 2030 — a deal that could be worth as much as $843 million.
Starlink, the satellite internet service Musk owns already had contracts with several government agencies and was recently installed in the White House- for free, according to Musk. Other federal agencies are also looking into switching to Starklink; apparently, the Internet budget is one thing that won’t be on the chopping block. Musk’s efforts to move the Federal Aviation Agency to Starlink prompted a complaint to the Department of Transportation Inspector General alleging criminal conflicts of interest by the Campaign Legal Center.
“The scope of what Elon Musk stands to gain from directing agency reconstruction cannot be fully stated,” says the Center. “His companies Tesla and SpaceX account for at least $15.4 billion in government contracts over the past decade and span multiple agencies. Any power to influence which agencies must cut costs or how government contracts are doled out opens the door for Musk to enhance his personal fortune.”
Engagement Resources
- Elon Musk Has Grown Even Wealthier Through Serving in Trump’s Administration, Sophia Gonsalves-Brown and Maha Quadri, March 13, 2025, Campaign Legal Center https://campaignlegal.org/update/clc-sues-stop-elon-musk-and-doges-lawless-unconstitutional-power-grab
- Who’s really running the White House — President Trump or unelected billionaire Elon Musk? Call Your Senators Today. Common Cause https://www.commoncause.org/work/fire-elon-musk/
- Donald Trump and Elon Musk are staging a coup. Full stop. It’s time to fight back like our democracy depends on it. Sign up below, and we’ll keep you updated with ways to take action on your home turf. Indivisible https://indivisible.org/coup