Does Elon Musk want war with China?

Elon Musk’s ascension to shadow president is both impressive and terrifying. The world’s richest man has an astounding amount of power and influence, if he wants something, there’s a good chance he’ll be able to get it. So what about war? Does Elon Musk want a war with China?

Elon Musk and the Pentagon briefing

On March 21st, Musk was invited to the Pentagon for a briefing in a highly secure conference room known as the Tank – the room is apparently only used for high-level meetings. The briefing comes after a U.S. official informed the New York Times that Musk would allegedly be present at the Pentagon to hear the U.S. strategy in the event that a war with China breaks out. 

Other outlets reported that China would be discussed at the Pentagon meeting, but made no mention of war.

A day before the meeting, on March 20th, Donald Trump denounced the claims stating that it was “fake news” and that, “China will not even be mentioned or discussed.” Before trashing the outlets that reported on the rumor, “How disgraceful it is that the discredited media can make up such lies.”

When speaking to reporters about the meeting on the 21st, Trump stated, the U.S. was “very well equipped to handle” a war with China, going on to say, “But I don’t want to show [the plan] to anybody.” The president also admitted that “Elon has businesses in China, and he would be susceptible perhaps to that.”

Elon Musk has connections to China

The tech billionaire’s electric car company, Tesla, has two facilities in Shanghai, China, which has raised some conflict of interest concerns. Aside from his businesses in China, Elon Musk also has contracts with the Defense Department. 

Earlier in March a formal complaint was made against Musk with concerns raised over the Federal Aviation Administration potentially switching service providers to Starlink. This latest issue regarding China is just another example of a conflict with Musk’s business and his politics.

Musk’s stance on war with China

While he hasn’t outright said what his stance is, we can assume he would prefer to avoid a conflict with a country where he has business interests. It’s not entirely clear what was discussed during the meeting in the Pentagon either but it’s very unlikely he has any sway in military plans and strategies. Whether the briefing was about war or not, many believe that Musk should not have access to classified information which could give him an advantage against business competitors.

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