Elon Musk and his team from the Government Efficiency Department (Doge) are committed to cutting expenses, including the reduction of personnel and US -funded contracts. However, an investigation from the The Washington Post It reveals that the tycoon has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of American taxpayers money over the past two decades.
Musk companies received at least $ 38 billion in government contracts, subsidies, tax credits and loans, contributing to the growth of their business empire.
Government support was decisive at critical times, allowing Tesla, Spacex and other businesses under its control.
State financing in the growth of musk companies
The first support dates from 2008, when Musk secured a loan from low interest rates from the Energy Department to save Tesla, then in a fragile financial situation. Since then, public funding has been one of the pillars of the growth of its empire.
According to the The Washington PostAlmost two thirds of the $ 38 billion has been granted in the last five years.
By 2024, federal and local governments have already compromised at least $ 6.3 billion in new support to musk companies, marking a record.
However, this value may be even higher as it does not include confidential contracts related to US defense and intelligence.
A Reuters It has revealed that Spacex has developed spy satellites for the National Recognition Office, the Pentagon Spy Satellite Division. THE Wall Street Journal estimates that this contract has a value of $ 1.8 billion.
Currently, there are 52 active contracts between musk companies and seven government agencies, including NASA, the Department of Defense and the administration of general services, which could yield about 11.8 billion additional dollars in the coming years.
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Internal cuts and external benefits
While Musk proposes significant cuts in the government through Doge, their own companies continue to benefit from state support.
The Doge’s team aims to reduce budgets and contracts in various federal agencies, including some with which Musk companies have trade relations.
The links between musk and government agencies are sometimes of mutual interest. Multimillionaire’s business has boosted US strategic sectors such as spatial exploration and expansion of electric vehicles.
Although there are financing programs for other companies, none managed to reach the same dominant position as Tesla in the market.
Conclusion
While Musk continues to defend a more rigorous approach to US public spending, their companies remain among the main beneficiaries of state financing.
This paradoxical relationship between cuts and subsidies raises questions about the coherence of the strategy adopted by the tycoon and the impact that these changes can have in the future of their business.
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