The world’s first trillionaire is a killer
EDITOR BRIEF
The article says a future SpaceX IPO could make Elon Musk the richest person in history. It argues that Musk’s leadership of DOGE helped dismantle USAID during Trump’s second term, with severe global public-health consequences.
CONTEXT
The piece frames Musk’s rising wealth as inseparable from his political influence and the human costs of government austerity. It reflects a broader backlash against tech billionaires whose private power increasingly shapes public policy and global institutions.
ARTICLE
Hm! | Photo: Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images
Elon Musk's SpaceX IPO will probably make him the richest person to ever walk the planet. And while his mountain of horrible personal conduct could fill multiple books, one fact in particular stands out: A year ago, Musk's actions directly led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. He did it knowingly. And, worse - gleefully. This is not a serious person, but his abuse of the world is deadly serious. In the first months of President Donald Trump's second term, the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) destroyed the US Agency for International Development, whose mission was a boon to public health around the globe. M … Read the full story at The Verge.
