The richest man in the world is now the head of the Department of Government Effectiveness in the United States. But Elon Musk did not wait to integrate the government Trump To exert influence all over the world. The empire he built is not only a business. From Tesla to Starlink, its companies have become real geopolitical actors.
Episode 1: Starlink, the centerpiece
“Peace between Ukraine and Russia:
– Redo the elections in the regions annexed under the supervision of the UN. Russia leaves the country if it is the will of the population.
– Crimea is officially part of Russia, as is the case since 1783 (until Khrushchev’s error).
– Crimea water supply is ensured.
– Ukraine remains neutral. “
This “peace plan” in Ukraine does not come from the UN, nor from a diplomat or a head of state. And he was not written on official paper, but he holds in a tweet. You may remember, this plan was offered in October 2022 by a certain Elon Musk.
Below the billionaire tweet, a survey allows you to vote “for” or “against” this proposal. All over the world, reactions alternate between dismay and misunderstanding. Volodymyr Zelensky reinforces and replies with a survey too: he asks his subscribers if they prefer the Musk Pro-Ukrainian or the Musk Pro-Russian. On the TV sets, we almost believe in a bad joke.
At that time, everyone wonders: why does Elon Musk mix with a geopolitical subject which, at first glance, does not concern him? Or maybe if … the billionaire is neither ambassador nor president and yet he is a leading geopolitical player. And especially in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, with its Starlink system. The world then discovers the existence of these satellites which allow the Ukrainian army to remain connected to the network. A technology that has transformed for Elon Musk into a diplomatic tool.
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“The Musk Empire” is an original series of the magnifying glass, the daily podcast of L’Express, presented by Charlotte Baris, written by Solène Alifat and produced by Jules Krot.
Credits : BFMTV, CNEWS, INA, TF1, TV5 Monde, France 24
Music and dressing: Emmanuel Herschon/Studio Torrent
Logo: Jérémy Cambour
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To go further:
Ukraine: Can the French operator Eutelsat compete with Starlink?
Starlink against strategic ores? United States pressure on Ukraine
A “national priority”: why China Copy Elon Musk in the space
Starlink, Elon Musk’s fatal weapon: his assets to conquer the world