Interviews with 30+ of Elon Musk's colleagues and dozens of others detail his growing power, childhood, career, politics, role in Russia's Ukraine war, and more

How the U.S. government came to rely on the tech billionaire—and is now struggling to rein him in.

New Yorker 2023-08-22 Ronan Farrow

Context & Ripple Effects

This account places Musk’s influence at the intersection of private technology control, U.S. government dependence, and the Ukraine war. Related reporting also examined alleged Kremlin contacts before his Ukraine peace proposal, a claim Musk publicly denied in that coverage: the reported contacts surrounding his Ukraine proposal.

The story follows a broader record of unusually centralized decision-making around Musk, including his confidant-led approach to acquiring Twitter. It matters because reliance on one private actor can turn business leadership decisions into questions of public leverage and geopolitical accountability.

First-order effects

The U.S. government’s reliance on Musk-linked technology and services gives Musk immediate leverage while making efforts to constrain him more difficult.
Musk’s decisions and public positioning carry heightened consequences for Ukraine-related activity because his role has already affected the war, according to the coverage.

Second-order effects

Government agencies face pressure to reduce single-provider exposure and clarify oversight where privately controlled technology supports public or conflict-related needs.
Partners, customers, and political actors must treat Musk’s corporate decisions and communications as potential geopolitical variables rather than solely commercial choices.

Third-order effects

If this dependence persists, governments may increasingly seek contractual, regulatory, or procurement safeguards against strategic reliance on an individual-controlled technology provider.
The larger shift is toward private infrastructure owners exercising state-like influence without matching public-sector accountability, intensifying debates over sovereignty and control.

The trend: This is one instance of strategic technology concentration turning private executive discretion into a geopolitical governance issue.

Discussion

UPROXX UPROXX on x
Elon Musk Fought Long And Hard (And Unsuccessfully) To Ensure His Super-Quiet Tesla Cars Made Fart Noises
@moskov Dustin Moskovitz on threads
Important profile. Elon is much more than just an internet troll.
@MoiraEve@mastodon.world MoiraEve on mastodon
Elon Musk has admitted he's talked to Putin personally about Starlink. At the time Starlink communications broke down, throwing Ukrainian lines into chaos, the outages were likely the result of SpaceX intentionally cutting the cord via geofencing. This is according to the New Y…
@TimKarr@mastodon.social TimKarr on mastodon
So, let me get this straight: The Pentagon is allowing some unelected clown with a spiraling ketamine habit determine whether or not their officials can speak to the media.
@hadleysheley.bsky.social Hadley Sheley on bluesky
This analogy given of Elon in Ronan Farrow's latest New Yorker article is perfection. — “And it's, like, 'I was lying to you intensely while we were dating. Now that we're married, let me tell you about the herpes.' ” — https://www.newyorker.com/...
@vasabjit.bsky.social Vasabjit Banerjee on bluesky
I keep repeating Musk has constructed a set of para-statal enterprises akin to those in apartheid South Africa, which were created to keep transactions off the books and shield ruling political and economic elites from scrutiny. — https://www.newyorker.com/...
@stevesi Steven Sinofsky on x
“Elon Musk's Shadow Rule” https://www.newyorker.com/... // One might argue this is less about privatization and more about the government's inability/unwillingness to invest in unproven infrastructure-less about private and more about the de-risking profile of elected officials. …
@austen Austen Allred on x
When there's a hit piece on me, I hope the substance is, “He created such a powerful piece of technology the balance of war would tip if he decided to turn it off. He later asked to be paid for it because providing it for free was so expensive.” [image]
@loloverruled Lolo on x
This is so fucking funny [image]
@caslernoel @caslernoel on x
Ronan always brings it but I will admit I had to put down my phone walk into the woods and scream ‘f*ck’ at the top of my lungs after reading the first paragraph. ‘F*ck’
@stevesi Steven Sinofsky on x
2/ At a Recode conference interview, former NYC mayor Bloomberg spoke eloquently about the role of the private sector (for and non-profit) for risk-taking because the government only funds what is provably low risk.
@juliadavisnews Julia Davis on x
[image]
@kantrowitz Alex Kantrowitz on x
This is the most important line of @RonanFarrow's Musk piece. His power comes from the state's total failure to build basic infrastructure. https://www.newyorker.com/... [image]
@muellershewrote @muellershewrote on x
NEW: THREAD: Ronan Farrow's expose on Musk is out. It's a MUST READ. Here are some stand-out moments. Musk deliberately throttled Starlink - the communications system Ukraine was relying on in battle. He held it hostage for $400M at critical points in the war. 1/ [image]
@jkbjournalist Julie K. Brown on x
Lots of gems like this is the new @RonanFarrow @NewYorker piece on @elonmusk. This passage reminds me of a guy named Stockton Rush, who ended up blown to bits in his own sub — he was another “disruptive innovator” who didn't believe in safety protocols. [image]
@eladnehorai Elad Nehorai on x
This article is mind blowing, and also deeply disturbing. Ironic (and doubtless purposeful) that Musk spreads conspiracy theories about Soros when it's Musk who has unprecedented influence over global affairs in ways that should concern us all. [image]
@clarajeffery Clara Jeffery on x
So glad @RonanFarrow has gone all in on something I've been worried about for years: Elon Musk's dreams of replacing government with a corporate state with him as ultimate ruler: https://www.newyorker.com/... [image]
@karlbode Karl Bode on x
he's self-immolating, making endless enemies everywhere he turns. and if I'm at the pentagon, I sure as shit don't want national security impacted by a bloviating clown navigating a 3AM Ambien/Ketamine high
@pkafka Peter Kafka on x
@nichcarlson @lpolgreen Doesn't have to be. But close Elon observers, like biographer @ashleevance, believe *something* has changed in recently. Other theories, which aren't mutually exclusive: *covid brain *distorting effect of being one of the most famous people in history http…
@nichcarlson Nicholas Carlson on x
@pkafka @lpolgreen Does it have to be drugs? I see a pattern of manic behavior leading him to doing wild things throughout his life, from buying a $1mm sports car and totaling it, to deciding to go to space, to overpaying for Twitter. We all benefit and suffer from his manic epis…
@tomgara Tom Gara on x
The bullish case for Elon Musk is that Ronan Farrow has been reporting out a story on him for the last year and really doesn't seem to have found that much https://www.newyorker.com/...
@dannykons Danny Konstantinovic on x
Ronan Farrow out here showing that, more and more, understanding video games is an important part of understanding culture [image]
@sirsteven @sirsteven on x
some publications still out there hobbling their in-depth stories with boring, baffling, cryptic short headlines it's not the 19th-century and you don't need to save ink. time to give up on the tedious headlines [image]
@ronanfarrow Ronan Farrow on x
The reporting on Elon Musk I've been working on for @newyorker over the past year: https://www.newyorker.com/...
@pkafka Peter Kafka on x
Another “is a lot of this just Elon + drugs?”, which, again, is widely discussed but seldom published. This time it's Ronan Farrow in the New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/... [image]
@om @om on x
If you have followed Elon (or read @ashleevance's book), then nothing here should be new to you. Barring a few zingers from @reidhoffman and a handful of new details, it is actually a flattering profile. All things considered.
@gettingsome @gettingsome on x
“There is little precedent for a civilian's becoming the arbiter of a war between nations in such a granular way, or for the degree of dependency that the U.S. now has on @ElonMusk in a variety of fields.” https://www.newyorker.com/...
@mbusse Matt Busse on x
The @NewYorker's writing and cartoons are both top notch, but its juxtaposition of the two in its online layout will never not seem odd to me. (Screenshot from: https://www.newyorker.com/...) [image]
@drewfitzgerald Drew FitzGerald on x
“Current and former officials ... told me that Musk's influence had become inescapable in their work, and several of them said that they now treat him like a sort of unelected official.”
@sifill_ Sherrilyn Ifill on x
I'm telling y'all. Stop laughing. This narcissistic, impulsive, stubborn, conspiracy-embracing man is a menace.
@michaelluo Michael Luo on x
It's here. @RonanFarrow on @elonmusk. Elon Musk's Shadow Rule https://www.newyorker.com/...
@julie_bush Julie Bush on x
how the US government came to rely on a complete dumbass ... and are now struggling to reign him in https://www.newyorker.com/...
r/TrueAnon r on reddit
Elon Musk's Shadow Rule
r/politics r on reddit
Elon Musk's Shadow Rule: How the U.S. government came to rely on the tech billionaire—and is now struggling to rein him in.
r/SpaceXLounge r on reddit
Elon Musk's Shadow Rule
r/UkrainianConflict r on reddit
Elon Musk's Shadow Rule How the U.S. government came to rely on the tech billionaire—and is now struggling to rein him in.
r/elonmusk r on reddit
Elon Musk's Shadow Rule
r/EnoughMuskSpam r on reddit
Holy shit - this New Yorker article is on fire: “Elon Musk's Shadow Rule - How the U.S. government came to rely on the tech billionaire—and is now struggling to rein him in.” …
r/Destiny r on reddit
New Ronan Farrow Piece: Elon Musk's Shadow Rule
r/Fauxmoi r on reddit
Ronan Farrow: “Elon Musk's Shadow Rule”
r/TrueReddit r on reddit
Elon Musk's Shadow Rule. How the U.S. government came to rely on the tech billionaire—and is now struggling to rein him in.
r/Foodforthought r on reddit
Elon Musk's Shadow Rule
UPROXX UPROXX on x
Elon Musk Has Allegedly ‘Escalated’ His Ketamine Use, According To Ronan Farrow's Latest Expose
@TimKarr@mastodon.social TimKarr on mastodon
This line from Ronan Farrow's Musk exposé is particularly concerning: — “One Pentagon spokesman said that he was keeping Musk apprised of my inquiries about his role in Ukraine and would grant an interview with an official about the matter only with Musk's permission.” — http…
@jayreding@mastodon.world Jay Reding on mastodon
If it is true that Elon Musk has been personally communicating with Putin and has an unprecedented level of access to information on the Ukraine war, that is incredibly bad. The DoD had been very bullish on Starlink as a military tool, but I am guessing Musk has pissed off the g…
@andrewbaron.bsky.social Drew on bluesky
Ronan Farrow investigated Elon Musk & produced a super work on Musk's role in manipulating global politics. If you are not sure you want to read it (I know I'm pretty saturated) check out Techmeme's aggregated social posts, that got me to read it. See: https://www.techmeme.com/…
@andimann.bsky.social Andi Mann on bluesky
Can you say “Unregistered Foreign Agent”?? — Coz that's a crime right there. Ask Manafort! [embedded post]
@mehdirhasan Mehdi Hasan on x
“One Pentagon spokesman said that he was keeping Musk apprised of my inquiries about his role in Ukraine and would grant an interview with an official about the matter only with Musk's permission. “We'll talk to you if Elon wants us to,” he told me.” https://www.newyorker.com/...
@tomcoates Tom Coates on x
There's a lot here that's pretty terrifying, but I think this bit may be (at least short term) the scariest: https://www.newyorker.com/... [image]
@business @business on x
During a call about the satellite-based internet SpaceX supplies to Ukraine's military, Elon Musk told Pentagon officials he'd spoken personally with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the New Yorker reported https://www.bloomberg.com/...
@robtornoe Rob Tornoe on x
“To the dismay of Pentagon officials, Musk volunteered that he had spoken with Putin personally... On the phone, Musk said that he was looking at his laptop and could see “the entire war unfolding” through a map of Starlink activity.” https://www.newyorker.com/...
@nxthompson @nxthompson on x
“On the phone with Defense, Musk volunteered that he had been speaking with Putin personally and then said that he was looking at his laptop and could see ‘the entire war unfolding’ through a map of Starlink activity.” @newyorker https://www.newyorker.com/...
r/UkrainianConflict r on reddit
Musk Told Pentagon He Spoke to Putin Directly, New Yorker Says
r/politics r on reddit
Musk Told Pentagon He Spoke to Putin Directly, New Yorker Says

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