In an unexpected turn, Vivek Ramaswamy, a renowned entrepreneur in the pharmaceutical industry, and Elon Musk, a well-known figure in the tech world, have emerged as the leading forces behind a newly formed commission dedicated to reducing government expenditure, under the administration of soon-to-be President Donald Trump.
Ramaswamy had previously drawn attention for his portrayal of Musk as an ‘organ grinder’s monkey’ heavily dependent on state contracts, and growing ever more reliant on relations with China. This depiction served as a trailblazer for criticisms eventually ascribed to Musk by other commentators on various platforms.
As of last year, Musk’s enterprises had transacted almost $3 billion worth of business with an array of 17 federal institutions. The existence and financial success of Musk’s companies, Tesla and SpaceX, is heavily attributed to public funding by way of subsidies, funding routed through the electric car segment, or through government contracts specifically for SpaceX, as Ramaswamy has pointed out in several interviews.
Ramaswamy’s critical analysis of Musk doesn’t end there. He has previously brought into focus Musk’s influential relationship with China, which has seen the production of over half of Tesla’s vehicles in recent years.
Appearing in the media regularly, Ramaswamy, the investor and pharma tycoon, accused Musk of having a close association with China, bending his principles under the Chinese premier Xi Jinping’s pressure, and modifying his political perspectives to pacify Beijing. Ramaswamy has even insinuated that Musk would unquestioningly masquerade under Xi Jinping’s directive in the face of a crisis.
When Ramaswamy, in one instance, accused Musk of taking his relationship with China too far, Musk addressed his criticism directly for the first time. Musk rebuffed these claims as entirely inaccurate, referencing Tesla’s sped-up production lines in Texas, California, and Nevada.
Even five months post this discussion, the two saw no consensus. Ramaswamy published yet another condemning statement, declaring the global issue of climate change as a ruse. Musk, in response, asserted that short-term exaggeration notwithstanding, long-term implications concerning climate change were quite real and warranted serious attention.
Despite their differences on the potency of climate change and China’s diplomatic policies, both Musk and Ramaswamy concur on one subject – the elimination of government extravagance. Their shared perspective forms the backbone of their recent initiative which focuses on enhancing the efficiency of the government.
Their venture, colloquially referred to as the Department of Government Efficiency, operates as an independent advisory board. A key task on their agenda entails providing suggestions aimed at slashing government expenditure, with the ambitious goal of reduction touching the mark of $2 trillion.
In regards to his past criticisms of Musk, Ramaswamy issued a statement explaining he’d made those remarks before any personal interaction between the two. Despite their previous conflicting viewpoints, Ramaswamy openly expressed his admiration for Musk and took pride in counting him as a friend.