Washington: Close relationships between US President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk has raised concerns that the billionaire entrepreneur could create a monopoly in the country’s space industry, receiving billions of dollars in government funding for his company SpaceX, the Politico newspaper reported on Sunday.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ aerospace manufacturer Blue Origin is seen as the closest competitor to SpaceX. The two companies have a history of disputes over government funding worth billions, according to the newspaper.
“People are concerned what’s in place to stop it. You’re talking about two of the most unpredictable people in the world getting together. It’s not like chocolate and peanut butter, and you get a great combination. You’re talking about world dominance here,” one space industry lobbyist told Politico.
The Musk-Trump relationship could shape the next phase of private space exploration, and the space industry is trying to understand how the SpaceX owner can oust competitors or put his allies in influential government positions, including the head of NASA.
Trump has already announced several appointments to his future administration. For instance, Senator Marco Rubio was picked to be his secretary of state, TV host Pete Hegseth for the secretary of defense, Congressman Mike Waltz as the national security adviser, and former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe as the CIA director. Meanwhile, Musk and entrepreneur and former US presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
