Citizen Musk | Corruption | Al Jazeera
The world’s richest man has reshaped the US government. Fault Lines investigates what that is costing the United States.
Elon Musk has emerged as one of the most powerful figures in American politics. After contributing more than $250m to President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign, Musk joined his administration as head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. From that post, he launched an aggressive effort to slash the federal workforce—targeting entire agencies, some of which regulate his own companies. His position also gave him access to vast troves of government data, potentially fuelling the growth of his artificial intelligence ventures.
Fault Lines traces Musk’s transformation from Trump critic to top donor and political ally. Through interviews with historians, insiders and journalists, Citizen Musk investigates whether one billionaire bought his way into power—and whether the United States is sliding into oligarchy.