Elon Musk is angry that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has re-opened its investigation into his neurotechnology startup, Neuralink, and claims its actions are politically motivated.
The re-opened SEC investigation is just the latest chapter in Musk’s Neuralink woes. While he may cry “political dirty work,” most are probably relieved by the investigation, considering his startup is experimenting with putting chips in humans’ brains. Not only are many concerned about Musk’s true intentions, given that he has floated plans to merge AI and humans, but his startup has also been plagued by numerous controversies. Neuralink has been accused of animal abuse for allegedly mistreating and causing unnecessary pain and suffering to the monkeys it used for testing. The allegations sparked an investigation by the United States Department of Agriculture. Additionally, Musk was accused of fostering a toxic environment, including rushing employees with unrealistic deadlines and overly ambitious goals.
Although the FDA initially rejected Neuralink’s desire to start human trials, it was eventually cleared and permitted to insert brain chips in two patients, Noland Arbaugh and a patient known only as Alex. However, lawmakers and the SEC remain concerned that Musk deceived investors by downplaying the risks of Neuralink and potentially hiding animal deaths during testing.
SEC re-opens investigation into Neuralink
In 2023, four U.S. Representatives pushed the SEC to investigate Neuralink over concerns that Musk had committed fraud by misleading investors. The Representatives pointed out that Musk made false statements on X, such as claiming no animal deaths occurred directly from Neuralink testing. However, WIRED obtained records and reports that confirmed as many as a dozen monkeys died due to the technology. Since his X account can be considered a source of investors’ news, his false claims about animal deaths could constitute fraud.
The SEC has been quiet about the details of its investigation. However, Musk recently shared a letter confirming it had re-opened a probe into Neuralink. The letter was penned by Musk’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, and addressed to the SEC Chair, Gary Gensler. In the letter, Spiro accuses the SEC of “six years of harassment” towards Musk. Not only is the SEC re-opening its Neuralink investigation, but it is also probing Musk’s purchase of Twitter, for which he could be fined or face other charges. The letter claims that the SEC is “not motivated to seek the truth” but is instead engaging in a “campaign against Mr. Musk.” It also suggests the SEC’s actions are being directed by the White House.
In a separate post, Musk wrote, “The SEC is just another weaponized institution doing political dirty work.”
The details of the Neuralink investigation are still unknown, and it remains to be seen if it will lead to any other charges or fines. It’s hardly surprising that Musk is already pulling the political card, considering his “best friend” Donald Trump has done the same thing. Trump has repeatedly claimed that the federal charges and investigations against him were simply politically motivated. Now, Musk is following suit. Both Musk and Trump believe that they are above the law and entitled to do anything they want. Then, when someone finally takes action against their corruption and lies, they cry politics. Although Trump has been able to evade justice, it remains to be seen if Musk will do the same.
Published: Dec 13, 2024 05:49 pm