Page 39 - Elon Musk

Musk is working for Trump as a 'special govt employee': White House

Elon Musk is working for President Donald Trump as a special government employee," according to a White House official, solidifying his controversial role in the administration but sidestepping some disclosure rules that are typical of federal workers. The official, speaking Monday on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters, said that Musk has a government email address and office space in the White House complex. Musk, the world's richest man, has been granted broad latitude by Trump to reduce the size of the federal government. On Monday morning, the headquarters of the US Agency for International Development was abruptly shut down. Musk's team, known as the Department of Government Efficiency, also has received access to sensitive payment systems at the US Treasury Department. Democrats fear that Musk is consolidating power within the federal government, acting without accountability and potentially against the law. Special government employees are usually appoin

Elon Musk says President Donald Trump 'agreed' USAID should be shut down

The US Agency for International Development is on the cusp of being shuttered, according the Trump administration's billionaire adviser and Tesla CEO Elon Musk - who has been wrestling for control of the agency in recent days. Early Monday, Musk held a live session on X Spaces, previously known as Twitter Spaces, and said that he spoke in detail about USAID with the president. He agreed we should shut it down, Musk said. It became apparent that its not an apple with a worm it in, Musk said. What we have is just a ball of worms. You've got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It's beyond repair. We're shutting it down. His comments come after the administration placed two top security chiefs at USAID on leave after they refused to turn over classified material in restricted areas to Musk's government-inspection teams, a current and a former U.S. official told The Associated Press on Sunday. Members of Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, eventually did gain

Elon Musk says 'time to die' for USAID as officials are put on leave

Elon Musk, appointed by Trump to lead DOGE, called USAID a 'criminal organisation' after officials blocked his task force from restricted areas at its DC headquarters

DOGE 'rapidly shutting down' Treasury payments to US contractors: Musk

Musk is targeting systems that process tens of billions of dollars a day in payments for US government agencies and the officials that oversee them

Musk's DOGE commission gains access to sensitive Treasury payment systems

The Department of Government Efficiency, run by President Donald Trump's billionaire adviser and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, has gained access to sensitive Treasury data including Social Security and Medicare customer payment systems, according to two people familiar with the situation. The move by DOGE, a Trump administration task force assigned to find ways to fire federal workers, cut programs and slash federal regulations, means it could have wide leeway to access important taxpayer data, among other things. The New York Times first reported the news of the group's access of the massive federal payment system. The two people who spoke to The Associated Press spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. The highest-ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, Ron Wyden of Oregon, on Friday sent a letter to Trump's Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressing concern that officials associated with Musk may have intended to access these payment .

No White House stay for Musk. He's crashing at a DC govt office instead

Elon Musk skips a White House stay to live in a DC govt office, pushing his 'hardcore work ethic' to new extremes as he leads government cost-cutting efforts from the inside

OpenAI seeks $40 billion in fresh funding as DeepSeek disrupts AI market

The development follows concerns sparked by Chinese AI startup DeepSeek, which recently introduced a highly advanced chatbot at a significantly lower cost than its American rivals, unsettling the mark

Tesla reassures investors with growth pledge, to begin robotaxi rollout

Tesla plans to launch its autonomous ride-hailing service in Austin in June and then in other cities by the end of the year

Journalism and technology: Why Elon Musk is not media's Enemy No 1

Good journalism has a place and purpose. If every X user is the media, who ensures the facts?

Trump ends teen gender transition funding; Musk has reason to cheer

US president has signed an order cutting federal funding for teen gender transitions, with Elon Musk's support adding to the controversy

Tesla gears up for 2025: Low-cost EVs, autonomous cars to hit US roads

Electric automaker Tesla is set to roll out affordable EVs and launch a paid autonomous car service in 2025, focusing on cost cuts and innovation despite a dip in vehicle deliveries last year

Elon Musk blames Don Lemon's 'invasive' interview for cancelling show on X

Now Musk is trying to get Lemon's lawsuit dismissed in California Superior Court, arguing that the relationship between X and Lemon 'went sour' after the interview

Apple, SpaceX link up to support Starlink satellite network on iPhones

Medium resolution images, music & audio podcasts should work with the current generation Starlink direct-to-phone constellation.The first users received text messages from T-Mobile

Mahakumbh stampede, ISRO, X partner with Visa, Congress manifesto & more

Multiple people are feared dead after a stampede-like situation at the Sangam during the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj. Thousands had gathered today for a holy bath on Mauni Amavasya.

Tech wrap Jan 29: Starlink on iPhone, XMoney launch, ChatGPT Gov, and more

Tech wrap Jan 29: Starlink on iPhone, XMoney launch, ChatGPT Gov, and more

Donald Trump asks Elon Musk to help bring 'stranded' Sunita Williams home

US astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been aboard the ISS since June 2024, had been left 'stranded' after the mission's originally planned duration

X moves closer to super app status with Visa-powered digital wallet plans

XMoney platform will likely enable Peer-to-peer (P2P) payments and an integrated e-wallet within the X app

Elon Musk's X to launch its first digital wallet in partnership with Visa

X partners with Visa to launch real-time payments, marking progress in Elon Musk's vision for an 'everything app.' The service will support digital wallets and bank transfers

Apple enables unannounced connectivity feature on iPhone with iOS 18.3

iOS 18.3 supports Starlink satellite network through Apple's partnership with SpaceX and T-Mobile in the US

Donald Trump, Elon Musk put out confusing statements on stuck US astronauts

It's unclear exactly what Trump and Musk mean considering the capsule that NASA has tasked with returning the astronauts is already up in space