Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump visited three Middle Eastern countries on his first overseas trip since taking office, and both Trump’s family and his associate, Tesla Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Elon Musk, are reportedly generating various revenue from the Middle East, according to the New York Times (NYT) on the 20th (local time).
The NYT noted, "President Trump's recent visit to the Persian Gulf attracted attention for overlapping U.S. foreign policy with his family business interests; however, there is another White House official who completed significant transactions in the region last week. That is Elon Musk."
Musk, who accompanied President Trump on the trip, said he received approval from the Saudi Arabian government to use the satellite internet service "Starlink" on aircraft and ships. Following this, there were reports that Emirates Airline in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is in discussions to introduce Starlink on board with Musk's aerospace company SpaceX. He secured Starlink contracts in two of the three Middle Eastern countries Trump visited.
Musk's neuroscience startup "Neuralink" also announced a new contract. The main content is that Neuralink, which develops brain implant chips, will conduct clinical trials in collaboration with the local health department in Abu Dhabi. However, specific details of the contract have not been disclosed.
Being part of the U.S. administration during the Middle Eastern trip, Musk actively promoted his businesses in the region. He said last week in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, that his tunneling company, The Boring Company, hopes to cooperate with Saudi Arabia. The Boring Company signed a contract with the Dubai Transportation Authority in February for the construction of an urban underground transportation system.
Middle Eastern countries have been investing significant funds by lobbying well-known sports teams or families of politicians to tighten ties with the West. Musk has successfully raised large amounts of funding in the Gulf region for years by leveraging this. Vy Capital, a Dubai-based company, is invested in at least five corporations led by Musk.
His family is no exception. Musk's brother, Kimbal Musk, owns Nova Sky Stories, which recently signed a contract to produce a series of drone light shows in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Musk's father, Errol Musk, is negotiating with Emirates companies for the construction of a "Musk Tower" for the Musk Institute in Dubai.
Musk's balancing act between national interests and personal gains is also occurring within the U.S. administration. NYT pointed out that Musk, as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) since the start of the Trump administration, is restructuring the U.S. government while operating corporations that profit from federal government expenditures and overseas contracts.