Big US election shake up: Elon Musk’s alleged ties with Vladimir Putin spark ‘Russian favour’ concerns

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and Donald Trump’s biggest endorser has reportedly maintained contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin since late 2022, according to a recent report by The Wall Street Journal. Musk has maintained silence over the report.

The report suggests that Musk and Putin discussed a range of topics, from personal matters to global tensions. Sources to WSJ claim that during one conversation, Putin allegedly asked Musk not to activate his Starlink satellites over Taiwan as a favour to Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

These shocking revelations come as Musk has shown increased investment in the U.S. presidential race amidst Russia-Ukraine war. Musk, the world’s richest person, has publicly endorsed former President Donald Trump, who, like Musk, has been rumoured to maintain ties with Putin, although Trump has denied such claims.

Musk has previously faced accusations of selling Starlink terminals to Russia amid the ongoing war between Moscow and Ukraine. However, Musk has firmly rejected these reports, calling them “categorically false.”

If true, Musk’s ongoing communications with Putin could raise national security concerns. His companies, including SpaceX, have extensive business dealings with the U.S. military and government agencies, granting him access to sensitive information. According to The New York Times, Musk secured $3 billion in contracts from various federal agencies last year alone.

Trump has also hinted that Musk would play a key role in his administration if he were to win a second term. Some critics have raised concerns that this relationship could influence future federal contracts with Musk’s companies, such as Tesla and SpaceX.

Musk has previously downplayed the extent of his contact with Putin. In October 2022, he posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he had spoken to Putin only once, roughly 18 months earlier, and that the conversation had been about space. The statement followed claims from political scientist Ian Bremmer, who said Musk had discussed the Ukraine war with Putin in late 2022.