--- title: "Elon Musk Reportedly Has a Huge Conflict of Interest Motivating Him to Gut USAID" description: "Besides the billionaire's racist and xenophobic ideologies, Musk's singling out of USAID was more than likely self-serving." date: "2025-02-05" modified: "2025-02-05" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/elon-musk-conflict-interest-shutting-down-usaid" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "SpaceX" - "starlink" - "usaid" --- # Elon Musk Reportedly Has a Huge Conflict of Interest Motivating Him to Gut USAID ![Besides the billionaire's racist and xenophobic ideologies, Musk's singling out of USAID was more than likely self-serving.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency has laid waste to USAID, an international development agency that typically spends tens of billions of dollars on aid across the world. Its demise could [result in the death]() of "thousands, if not hundreds of thousands" of people, as one anonymous USAID official [told *Politico*](). In an excoriating series of tweets, Musk [called the agency]() a "criminal organization" and argued that it was "[evil]()," while furthering harebrained conspiracy theories claiming it was somehow linked to the outbreak of COVID. Now, it's starting to sound like Musk's seething hatred towards the aid organization can be traced back to at least one conflict of interest at one of his business ventures: according [to *The Lever*](), USAID's inspector general was investigating Musk's [Starlink partnership with the Ukrainian government]() around the time DOGE shut down the organization. Needless to say, it's a charge that perfectly illustrates why Musk is unsuited for the job he's been given. Besides the billionaire's [racist and xenophobic ideologies](), Musk's singling out of USAID was more than likely self-serving — and has nothing to do with it allegedly being run by "radical left lunatics," as he's said. Put simply, Musk's own greed could soon kickstart a senseless and entirely preventable humanitarian disaster of epic proportions, with *The Lever* reporting that USAID's office of inspector general informed Congress in September that it was reviewing "USAID’s oversight of Starlink Satellite Terminals provided to the Ukrainian government, and USAID’s efforts to protect against sexual exploitation and abuse in Ukraine." USAID's website has also since been scrubbed of any mentions of Musk's ventures, including SpaceX and Starlink after Musk started gutting. In early 2022, SpaceX [delivered tens of thousands]() of Starlink terminals to Ukrainians on the front lines, greatly enhancing their connectivity. It didn't take long for Musk to [get cold feet](), arguing that it was "unreasonable" for SpaceX to continue footing their bills. Musk has also [reportedly met with Russian president Vladimir Putin]() several times during the country's invasion. According to Walter Isaacson's biography of the mercurial entrepreneur, Musk intentionally hamstrung the Starlink satellite network to [thwart a Ukrainian attack]() on Russia's naval fleet near the Crimean coast. "How am I in this war?" Musk asked Isaacson. "Starlink was not meant to be involved in wars. It was so people can watch Netflix and chill and get online for school and do good peaceful things, not drone strikes." In response, Musk [admitted]() that he refused to "agree" to an "emergency request from government authorities to activate Starlink all the way to Sevastopol," which had the "obvious intent being to sink most of the Russian fleet at anchor." Russian forces have since [made use of black market Starlink terminals]() to power their warfare in Ukraine. Several years later, Musk's coup in Washington, DC, is already claiming plenty of victims. USAID workers and their families have already [been told to uproot their lives](), leaving a massive [vacuum in the global aid sector](). The organization's dismantling is nothing less than a massive overreach of power, orchestrated by the richest man in the world. "I don’t even know if crime is the right word for the illegal destruction of USAID," *New York Times* columnist Jamelle Bouie wrote in a [post on Bluesky](). "It is an autocratic power grab and a direct attack on the sovereignty of the American people." **More on DOGE:** *[Elon Musk Says DOGE Will Now Shut Down Government Payments He Doesn't Like]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()