After a significant profit decline, Elon Musk stepped back from his role in government efficiency, leading to a decrease in his Washington presence. Yet, his ties with Trump have resulted in lucrative contracts with foreign governments, notably for SpaceX and Neuralink. Recently, Musk secured internet service deals in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, and there are indications of a potential government contract in South Africa, suggesting a move to favor Trump and navigate political tensions around ownership laws.
For axing the parts of the federal bureaucracy he didn't like, Musk has earned a cush second act - as the recipient of sweetheart deals from foreign governments looking to gain favor with the president.
While in Riyadh, he announced that SpaceX made a deal to provide Starlink internet service to firms in the kingdom. From there, Musk traveled with Trump to Abu Dhabi, where SpaceX will be taking over a contract to provide internet service to the government-owned Emirates Airlines.
In his native home of South Africa, his connection to Trump is paying off as well. Bloomberg reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa intends to give Starlink a contract to operate there ahead of his trip to see Trump at the White House on Wednesday.
The reported carve-out in South Africa appears to be a direct effort for the nation to appease the president and his extremely rich ally.
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