The Most Dangerous Man in the World: How We Can Defend Ourselves
Who is the most dangerous man in the world? Putin? Xi? Kim Jon Un? Donald Trump?
My money is on Elon Musk.
Some might hail Elon Musk as a visionary genius, but to me, he’s a Bond villain brought to life. This past week, the eccentric billionaire promised his time, treasure, and nefarious talent to support Donald Trump in his run against Kamala Harris for the presidency of the United States. Under the guise of helping people register to vote, Elon Musk and his America PAC launched a digital advertising campaign collecting personal data from swing state voters.
Watching Musk exert his networked tech empire’s influence on politics, policy, and international relations reminds me of Elliot Carver in the Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies. Carver, the film’s fictional tech genius and Bond baddie Elliot Carver (Jonathan Pryce), attempts to ignite the flames of war to expand his media empire and political influence. Like his cinematic counterpart, Musk uses inflammatory imagery, misinformation, and fear to incite people to hate more and think less. Underlying Musk’s Master of the Universe persona lurks a danger that society has not begun to comprehend.
The combination of Musk’s wealth, authoritarian ideology, and extensive holdings, including social media, satellite internet, transportation, and brain-computer interfaces, make the eccentric technocrat the most dangerous person in the world. Musk’s influence is staggering, and its potential for global disruption is immense. As the CEO of Starlink, X, SpaceX, Tesla, Neuralink, and The Boring Company, he holds sway over industries that shape the future of communication, urban planning, transportation, defense, and even brain technology. This concentration of power is unprecedented, and his sway over politics and national security is terrifying. Imagine if Thomas Edison had controlled electricity, the telephone, and the automobile industries all at once.
Musk’s use of X, formerly Twitter, exemplifies his nefarious influence. After taking X private in 2022, Musk constantly messages his tens of millions of followers with a provocative and often misinformed voice that sows chaos throughout the political and financial worlds. According to some estimates, Musk messages followers almost 500 times per week while actively limiting the reading and messaging of posts he does not agree with or criticize him or his political beliefs. Ironically, his behavior on the X platform flies in the face of the platform’s own rules of service. His belief that the rules don’t apply to him makes him a potent force that warrants constant scrutiny and oversight as he becomes more embedded in the nation’s national security infrastructure. We must remain vigilant and continue to question his actions and their implications.
Musk uses his communications empire, including X and his satellite company Starlink, to shape narratives and influence public opinion. For instance, when he denied Ukraine’s request to extend their Internet service into Crimea, his unilateral decision directly opposed U.S. international defense strategy and national security. His messaging and media access, unfiltered and unmediated, leads to the rapid spread of misinformation. For example, his tweets about COVID-19 and the Thai cave rescue have led to volatile public reactions and ignited misguided passions and actions across the entire world.
The cult of personality surrounding Musk and the legion of fans, who follow his every word and defend his every action, contribute to an environment where the adulation drowns out the critical examination of his ventures. This dangerous hero-worship places Musk beyond reproach in the eyes of many, stifling essential scrutiny and debate. In essence, Elon Musk poses a danger not just in the technologies he develops but in how he consolidates power, influences public perception, and sidesteps regulatory frameworks. His projects, while groundbreaking, are a double-edged sword. The same innovations that promise to propel humanity forward also have the potential to cause unprecedented harm, a fact that should concern us all.
It’s time to limit the power and influence of men like Musk. We should use a multifaceted approach, including consumer education, walking away from X to channels with more oversight and commitment to online safety, and additional regulatory insight and accountability would be a good start. The Department of Defense should also encourage more innovation among tech leaders who commit to upholding the ideals of democracy and the U.S. Constitution.
Citizens, business leaders, and public servants must relentlessly scrutinize his ventures, question his motives, and ensure that the technological revolution he promises serves humanity’s best interests rather than a dystopian technocracy built in the image of its billionaire founders. Only then can we defend ourselves against the risks posed by the most dangerous man in the world.
