Kara Swisher on Elon Musk: 'He's unelected, unaccountable, enormously wealthy'
Journalist Kara Swisher discusses Elon Musk's expanding business empire, questioning the logic behind a potential Tesla-SpaceX merger and highlighting his political influence. The discussion also touches on Musk's role in government efficiency and recent controversies regarding Starlink service in Ukraine.
Why it matters
Musk's intersection of private corporate power, government contracting, and political activism is a significant point of public and regulatory debate.
Throughline The billionaires' utopia blueprint Elon Musk says Tesla and SpaceX are exploring a possible merger , a move that could bring two of his biggest companies under one roof. But what is the business case for combining an electric vehicle manufacturer with a space and artificial intelligence company?
Longtime tech journalist Kara Swisher, who hosts the podcasts On and Pivot, spoke with Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep about Musk's expanding business empire and political influence.
"He's got to do something with Tesla as it descends downward," Swisher said, pointing to growing competition from Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers.
She argued that Musk missed an opportunity to develop an affordable electric car while competitors such as China's BYD expanded globally.
Swisher said data, AI and connectivity are increasingly central to Musk's businesses, though she questioned whether demand for computing power would hold up if the AI boom falters.
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