Very interesting piece here that’s resurfaced from 2022.
In short – Elon and his super-wealthy tech bros are very often critical of federal government giving too many handouts – and employing too many in government roles – but are actually the biggest ‘benefit queens’ going, benefiting to the tune of billions support for their companies:
The biggest critics of the government are, oddly, some of its biggest beneficiaries. Tech billionaires are often the first to shitpost America, even as they continue to harvest wealth from the investments taxpayers make via the U.S. government.
In fact, the biggest bitch(er) may be the biggest (financial) beneficiary. Elon Musk says we should “get rid of all” government subsidies, that “the government is the biggest corporation with a monopoly on violence,” and last week mocked Washington for hiring more employees at the IRS. Let’s be clear: Elon didn’t build an EV company in South Africa or start a rocket company in Canada. He built Tesla and SpaceX in the United States. And both continue to be heavily dependent on U.S. government support.
This has become even more acute with the recent stuff going on with DOGE and all its doge-dy dealings, especially when it comes to USAid and welfare. A grim picture…