Has Elon Musk, the most controversial CEO of our times, become too powerful and dangerous?

Elon Musk is the world's richest man, an advocate for free speech, a visionary businessman, and an innovator who is willing to take risks that not many would. Elon Musk is a transphobic, vaccine skeptic, and conspiracy theorist who is increasingly becoming more despotic.

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How Elon Musk became a household name

It seems like there are two sides to Musk that don't complement each other. But that is how Musk has always been¡ªthe rich guy whom you love to hate.

Initially, his antics, like smoking marijuana during a podcast with Joe Rogan, promoting a meme crypto coin called Dogecoin, or challenging fellow billionaire Mark Zuckerberg, were played down as eccentric behavior.

The most powerful individual

But soon the world learned that this is who Musk is, and as his wealth increased, so did his influence on the world. This has left many wondering if he has become too powerful, much more than what a non-state actor should have.

Apart from Tesla's dominance in the world of EVs, Musk's SpaceX has a near-monopoly in launching rockets to space. But it is another ability of SpaceX that has raised some eyebrows¡ªStarlink, a satellite-based internet service that can be deployed anywhere around the world.

CREDIT: AP

There is no denying that Starlink has been a game-changer and has helped to bring the internet to some remote parts of the world that would have never had access to it otherwise.

Can Musk decide who has access to internet

Starlink proved to be crucial for Ukraine in the initial days of the war after Russia invaded the country in February 2022. Musk rushed to activate Starlink over Ukraine after the Russian attack left the country's communication infrastructure in tatters. However, in September 2023, there was a concerning development when Starlink services were allegedly turned off in Crimea to disrupt a planned Ukrainian military attack there.

This was allegedly done to avoid complicity in a "major act of war." Musk has since rejected the reports; however, it acted as a wake-up call for many countries who were potential Starlink customers, who expressed apprehension that the service may be turned off at the decision of just one person.

CREDIT: REUTERS

Taiwan, which is facing a similar threat of a Russia-like invasion from China, was one such country, and instead of relying on Starlink, the island nation decided to create a satellite-based internet service of its own.

Musk's Twitter takeover

Another reason many believe that Musk has become too powerful is his takeover of Twitter, which he has since renamed X. While X is much smaller than most of its competitors, it is still used by the who¡¯s who of the world.

But Musk's takeover, which was followed by the unceremonious firing of then Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal and a large chunk of its staff, left the platform with little to no regulation on content.

Musk also changed policies at will to suit him, including how he banned an account that tracked his private jet. There were also reports that Musk forced engineers to tweak the algorithm to boost his own posts on X.

CREDIT: Reuters

Twitter, from social media to Musk's personal campaign tool

The social media platform's role has also come under scrutiny during the US presidential elections, where Musk has openly backed Trump and has been posting in his support. Many fear that Musk could be boosting the reach of pro-Trump posts on X.

Musk has also been accused of spreading misinformation on X about the recent riots in the UK. He has also been vocal about the developments in Venezuela and Brazil, where he has called on people from the two countries to rise up against their governments.

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