Musk: The New Face of Power

 

The image above is Elon Musk, a prominent inventor, entrepreneur, and businessman known for his work in technology, transportation, and even space exploration. Musk is the CEO and lead designer for SpaceX, a private aerospace manufacturing and transportation company. Musk is also the CEO and product architect for Tesla, the leading electric vehicle and clean energy company. Musk is also the current owner of X, previously known as Twitter, a social media site where you can broadcast short posts. Musk is also known for his ambitious goals, including colonizing Mars, developing high-speed transportation systems, and advancing artificial intelligence. However, Musk has also been involved in several controversies regarding his labor practices, his comments regarding Covid-19, his management of X, and hate speech such as anti-LGBTQ and numerous antisemitism controversies. The image also displays blue birds, which refers to him buying Twitter and renaming it “X.” The image also shows the Tesla logo, another company that Elon Musk owns. The red and blue background could also be a reference to the confederate flag, which Musk has been accused of liking and tolerating “X” to be a platform for antisemitism. 

In C. Wright Mills's The Power Elite, Mills examines the power structure in American society, mainly focusing on the connections between political, economic, and military institutions. Mills states that power is concentrated in a small elite group of leaders from three sectors. Mills discusses how the elite holds immense influence over the major decisions that shape society, such as economic policy, war, and political affairs. Mills suggests that this concentration of power leads to a significant disconnect between the elite and the general population. Mills also further examines that the power elite are not morally or psychologically superior, and they are not inherently special, but the fact that they are in their position makes them notable. Nevertheless, the power elite themselves are convinced they are untouchable. Mills also notes that the power elites have a similar upbringing and origin, creating a sense of unity and prestige. The power elites rely heavily on each other and consciously choose to work together, which reproduces the structure of the power elites. 

Elon Musk exemplifies Mills’ concept of the power elite through his significant influence and control over multiple spheres of society, including business, technology, innovation, and even public opinion. Elon Musk's upbringing aligns with Mills’ commentary on how the power elite come to positions of power. Musk was born into a wealthy family in South Africa, where he then had the privilege of attending preparatory schools, where he was first introduced to computers and technology. This exposure ultimately allowed Musk to begin his work with computer programming and start creating his first software at 12. Therefore, Musk's origins further gave him the proper tools and cultural capital to expand his power and wealth. Musk's role as the CEO and founder of multiple influential companies further solidifies his authority and influence within the corporate world. Musk has established himself as a dominant figure in many sectors by owning SpaceX, Tesla, and X. Tesla has revolutionized the automotive industry with electronic vehicles and sustainable energy solutions. Since electronic vehicles are essentially the future of transportation, this gives Musk power and further contributes to his status in the way that he has and will continue to have a vast platform. Additionally, with Musk's ownership of X, he ultimately changed the platform's guidelines and was allowed to be tweeted. Musk has essentially opened the floor for discussions about antisemitic posts. Musk received backlash when he responded to a tweet that accused Jewish people of hating white people and proclaimed indifference to antisemitism by posting, “You have said the actual truth”, which he later apologized for. Previously, tweets like these would have been taken down immediately for violating community guidelines. However, with Musk now as the owner, he has changed how discriminatory tweets are handled. Musk said that “X is a platform for free speech” and essentially now opens the floor for further antisemitic and racist tweets. Therefore, with Musk's power he is essentially dictating what is and is not allowed on one of the most popular social media platforms. Overall, Musk is a profound example of the ways the power elite can control and dictate substantial economic, technological, and social influence through the control of major corporations. 

Wright, Mills C. 1997. “The Power Elite.” in Classes and Elites in Democracy and Democratization. Routledge.

AP, L. M. with. (2024, January 23). Elon Musk says he was “naive” on antisemitism as he visits Auschwitz. Le Monde.fr. https://www.lemonde.fr/en/pixels/article/2024/01/23/elon-musk-says-he-was-naive-on-antisemitism-as-he-visits-auschwitz_6456954_13.html