Elon Musk’s Business Empire Scores Benefits Under Trump Shake-Up
Government investigations into Mr. Musk’s companies are stalling amid President Trump’s firings and Biden administration resignations.
President Trump has been in office less than a month, and Elon Musk’s vast business empire is already benefiting — or is now in a decidedly better position to benefit.
Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk, the world’s richest man who has been given enormous power by the president, have been dismantling federal agencies across the government. Mr. Trump has fired top officials and pushed out career employees. Many of them were leading investigations, enforcement matters or lawsuits pending against Mr. Musk’s companies.
Mr. Musk has also reaped the benefit of resignations by Biden-era regulators that flipped control of major regulatory agencies, leaving more sympathetic Republican appointees overseeing those lawsuits.
At least 11 federal agencies that have been affected by those moves have more than 32 continuing investigations, pending complaints or enforcement actions into Mr. Musk’s six companies, according to a review by The New York Times.
Trump firings hit agencies with oversight of Musk’s companies
Staffing changes, including the firing of several top officials, have affected agencies with federal investigations into or regulatory battles with Elon Musk’s companies.
Transportation
Violations, fines
Starbase review
Interior
Lawsuit
Complaint
Justice
Agriculture
Investigations
National Labor
Relations Board
Lawsuit
Complaints
Equal Employment
Opportunity Comm.
Investigation
Consumer Financial
Protection Bureau
Investigation
Securities and
Exchange Comm.
Investigation
Lawsuit
Defense
Federal Election
Comm.
Security
clearance
Office of
Government Ethics
Complaints
Oversight
Transportation
Violations, fines
Starbase review
Lawsuit
Interior
Complaint
Justice
Agriculture
Investigations
Lawsuit
National Labor
Relations Board
Complaints
Equal Employment
Opportunity Comm.
Investigation
Investigation
Consumer Financial
Protection Bureau
Securities and
Exchange Comm.
Investigation
Lawsuit
Defense
Federal Election
Comm.
Security clearance
Complaints
Oversight
Office of
Government Ethics
The events of the past few weeks have thrown into question the progress and outcomes of many of those pending investigations into his companies.
President Trump
fired three executives,
effectively paralyzing the
National Labor Relations Board
a watchdog agency for workers
which was investigating or
in regulatory battles with
companies overseen by
Elon Musk
fired three executives,
effectively paralyzing the
National Labor
Relations Board
a watchdog agency
for workers
President Trump
companies
overseen by
which was investigating or
in regulatory battles with
Elon Musk
President Trump
Two Democrats stepped down, leaving a Republican majority at the
has tried to remove the chairwoman
of the
Federal Election
Commission
Securities & Exhange
Commission
a campaign
finance agency
a watchdog agency
for investors
which has received complaints about the campaign practices of
which had filed a lawsuit against
Elon Musk
which has received complaints about the campaign practices of
has tried to remove the chairwoman of the
Federal Election
Commission
a campaign
finance agency
Elon Musk
President Trump
Two Democrats stepped down, leaving a Republican majority at the
which had filed a lawsuit against
Securities & Exhange
Commission
a watchdog agency
for investors
