An article published by CNN reveals that the boss of SpaceX would like to withdraw its aid to Ukraine if the Pentagon does not provide more funds. However, the bill presented by Elon Musk is exaggerated and ignores massive state funding.
Elon Musk behaves with Ukraine like a child who gets tired of a toy. After generously helping the country invaded by Russia with Starlink (SpaceX’s satellite network) jumpstart kits, the world’s wealthiest man reportedly told the US government he could no longer fund his assistance, according to a report. by CNN published this October 13, 2022. The problem with this excuse is that it is full of inconsistencies and the Pentagon even sees it as a way to extract money from the public authorities.
At no time does Elon Musk specify that approximately 85% of the 20,000 terminals sent to Ukraine were paid for by the United States, the United Kingdom, Poland, and other entities. But, for the boss of SpaceX, the most expensive part would be to maintain his assistance in the country at war. To continue funding his aid, Elon Musk is asking for government help. According to him, the cost of connecting all the terminals would approach 400 million dollars for the next twelve months, each kit would require a subscription of 4,500 dollars per month.
Again, the numbers do not match. First, a Starlink subscription costs around $500 per month. Then, the Pentagon is still responsible for paying 30% of the connectivity of terminals in Ukraine. The kits for individuals only go up to 60 dollars per month. It is difficult to understand where Elon Musk gets his bill at 4,500 euros per kit, even taking into account the defense against cyberattacks.
“You could say he’s trying to get money from the government or he’s trying to say, I don’t want to be a part of this anymore,” an unnamed source told CNN. Several Ukrainian soldiers had also reported that their Starlink kits had suddenly been deactivated, an article by the Financial Times.
A refusal to listen to Ukrainians
Elon Musk would therefore be a billionaire child, who sulks after being pinned for his remarks on Ukraine. The boss of Tesla and SpaceX has improvised as a mediator by offering Twitter users the to decide the future of Ukraine. He launched a poll on October 3, which perfectly met Russian demands with the annexation of the partially occupied territories. Not only the votes proved him wrong, but many personalities had recommended to the billionaire to first take an interest in the history of the country before launching risky and dangerous proposals. Dmitry Medvedev, Putin’s henchman, and Kremlin executive congratulated Elon Musk on Telegram, declaring that he was worthy of promotion to an officer [in the Russian army]. This same man regularly calls for the annihilation of the Ukrainian population, including by nuclear weapons.
On October 12, Ukrainian Digital Minister Mykhailo Fedorov thanked the SpaceX boss on Twitter for his Starlink terminals. Elon Musk replied that “it was a pleasure to support Ukraine“. You would have thought his teenage crisis was over for two minutes. Meanwhile, the CNN article fell and our billionaire was able to respond with maturity by blocking the author of the survey on Twitter. And, when a journalist recalls that a diplomat had sent “Fuck off” – understand “Get out” – after Musk’s tendentious poll on Twitter, the latter launched on October 13: “I am only following his recommendations“.
Elon Musk, therefore, has fun retaliating against a population victim of a daily massacre, after having provided him with vital aid. In this episode, the boss of Tesla and SpaceX leaves his status as a visionary industrialist to put on the costume of the irresponsible clown.
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