Musk’s Mars dream gets a boost with Trump in White House

Since Donald Trump's second term as President of the United States, Elon Musk has become the center of global media attention. Some outlets are even speculating, "Did Trump really win, or was it actually Elon Musk?" Those who follow international politics closely know that Musk had placed a massive bet on Trump's victory in this election. He spent a staggering $11.9 crore on Trump's campaign. Musk didn’t just stop only spending money; he actively participated in the campaign as well. Trump referred him as the biggest star of the Republican Party. Some are now saying that it wasn’t Trump who won this election—rather, it was Elon Musk. After Trump's victory, Musk posted a photo on his X (formerly Twitter) account. Even after purchasing Twitter, Musk had shared this image, showing himself walking into Twitter's headquarters holding a bathroom sink. He edited the same image and reposted it, this time showing himself entering the White House holding the sink, with the same caption: “Let that sink in!”, meaning, "haven't you understood the matter?"

Many people believe that Elon Musk aims to expand his SpaceX business through Donald Trump’s leadership, and that he’s set to send a spacecraft to Mars soon. Some also argue that Musk is entering politics through his association with Trump, with no doubt that Musk will be the next US president.

If the relationship between President Trump and Elon Musk is as close as some claim, what will Musk's relationship with China look like? As two economic giants, the US and China have a relationship that’s often compared to that of two heavyweight fighters. On the other hand, Musk’s electric vehicle company, Tesla, heavily relies on the Chinese market. This becomes more complicated given the ongoing geopolitical conflict between the US and China, particularly over Taiwan. Earlier this year, during a visit to China, Musk made a controversial statement about Taiwan, calling it "an inseparable part of China."

How much can Musk help resolve the geopolitical and diplomatic tensions between China and the US? Or how will he manage the pressure from both sides? Meanwhile, it has been widely reported for several years that Musk regularly communicates with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has even posted interviews with Putin on his social media platform, X. On the other hand, during the Russia-Ukraine war, Musk made his Starlink satellites available to Ukraine, providing them with crucial communication services.

What’s even more intriguing is that after Trump’s victory in the election, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called to congratulate him, and Elon Musk was by Trump’s side when the phone call happened. Trump handed the phone to Musk so he could speak with Zelenskyy directly.

Given recent developments, many are now speculating that the future of global politics may largely rest in Elon Musk’s hands. Some even believe that with his influence, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war could be brought to an end. But the question remains: Is Musk’s true goal to establish world peace by ending the war, or is he primarily focused on expanding his business? Matt Teske, CEO of the electric vehicle charging platform Chargeway, believes that Musk’s main interest lies in growing his business empire.

Professor Gordon from the University of Michigan also thinks that Musk is not the type to be constrained by rules and regulations. Musk himself has repeatedly expressed the view that government intervention hinders technological progress. As a relentless entrepreneur, he does not want to be trapped by any regulations that might set back technological advancement by 5, 10, or even 20 years. This raises the question: Does Musk want to control the politicians, rather than be controlled by them? Does he aim to go from being the world’s richest person to its most powerful?

But if Musk were to gain such power, what would he do with it? Professor Gordon suggests that Musk’s true ambition is to reach Mars. The lofty goals of SpaceX in reaching Mars are no longer confined to just getting to the planet; Musk and his team are also researching how humans might one day live there. The discussions are not just about transportation, but also about creating sustainable habitats, developing the necessary life-support systems, and even considering whether humans could be born on Mars. Musk has long announced his plan to establish a colony on Mars, aiming to have a population of one million people by 2050. In the next two years, he hopes to send five spacecraft to Mars.

For the rapid preparations and power he needs, Elon Musk is making all the necessary moves. In this year’s US election, we saw how much progress he has made toward his goals. His remarkable momentum was evident just one day after Trump’s victory. The statistics show that Musk has benefited the most from Trump’s win. In just one day, Musk’s wealth, including from his holdings in X, Tesla, SpaceX, and Neuralink, increased by $26.5 billion or 2,600 crore dollar—more than the total foreign reserves of Bangladesh. According to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index, thanks to rising stock prices, Musk’s current net worth is around $290 billion or 29,000 crore dollar.

This tech mogul lives in a world resembling hyper-reality. He once loved playing DDO games, and to him, life is like a video game, where leaping his boundaries at every moment is his goal. He seeks to turn his imagined worlds into reality. And since politics is the biggest obstacle to what he wants to achieve, now he seems intent on controlling politics itself.

A former top executive at SpaceX, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that Musk sees existing regulations as obstacles to his business and innovation. After Trump assumed office, Musk is likely to use the Trump administration as a tool to overcome those rules and restrictions, enabling him to do whatever he wants. In September, Musk posted that if Kamala Harris wins, humanity will never reach Mars. On the other hand, in an interview with Fox News last October, Donald Trump promised, "I will let him send rockets to Mars. If I become president, he will reach Mars during my term."

Elon Musk is not particularly concerned about the world's problems. Instead, his sole focus is on reaching Mars. To achieve this, he is doing whatever it takes, relentlessly investing billions of dollars from his own pocket. Such a costly dream has never been pursued by an individual before. While many individuals have accomplished great feats through personal initiatives, Musk is different. He is trying to turn science fiction into reality. And millions of people believe in his dream, trusting that this seemingly "crazy" man might actually bring his vision to life.

If Musk reaches Mars with Trump’s help, and if humanity can eventually land on the Red Planet through Musk’s efforts, it will be a truly remarkable moment in human civilization. Millions around the world are watching eagerly, waiting for Musk’s dream journey to unfold.