The Puppeteer and His Pawns

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has achieved what no foreign power could: the complete capture of the United States’ political machinery.

Under the guise of innovation and free speech, Musk has turned President Donald Trump into a glorified babysitter — distracted, manipulated, and utterly outmanoeuvred by the Tesla tycoon’s unfathomable wealth. Meanwhile, the US Vice President has been reduced to an irrelevant figurehead, watching helplessly as Musk’s empire dictates policy, suppresses dissent, and rewrites geopolitical realities.

Musk’s influence extends far beyond boardrooms. His control over X (formerly Twitter), SpaceX, and Tesla has given him unprecedented leverage over US policy, media narratives, and even electoral outcomes. By bankrolling key political figures and flooding the information space with his libertarian dogma, Musk has effectively turned Washington into his fiefdom.

• Trump, the Willing Puppet: Once a self-proclaimed strongman, Trump now parrots Musk’s talking points—whether on AI regulation, space colonization, or even South Africa’s racial politics. The former president, dazzled by Musk’s billions, has become little more than a megaphone for the billionaire’s agenda.
• The Erasure of the Vice Presidency: America’s second-in-command, constitutionally empowered to check executive excess, now sits idle as Musk’s shadow government operates unchecked. Where is the resistance? Where is the accountability?

Musk’s ambitions are not confined to the US. Born in Pretoria, he has weaponised his South African roots to fuel destabilisation. Through disinformation campaigns, Musk’s relatives and associates have amplified false narratives of racial violence in South Africa, undermining the nation’s hard-won democracy.

• Manufacturing Chaos: By funding fringe groups and manipulating social media algorithms, Musk’s empire has reignited racial tensions, painting South Africa as a failed state to justify foreign intervention.
• The Hypocrisy of a “Self-Made” Billionaire: Musk, who built his fortune on apartheid-era emerald mines and government subsidies, now poses as a saviour while destabilizing the Global South.

Musk’s ultimate goal is not just wealth — it’s escape. His obsession with Mars colonisation reveals a chilling truth: He has given up on Earth. By accelerating climate destruction, eroding democratic institutions, and monopolising space travel, Musk is engineering a future where only his elite followers survive — while the rest perish on a dying planet.

The world must wake up. The U.S. Vice President must assert constitutional authority, South Africa must resist foreign interference, and citizens globally must demand accountability before Musk’s empire achieves total domination.

Final Warning: If unchecked, Elon Musk will not just own the future — he will decide who gets to live in it.

* Anda Mbikwana is a PhD candidate, and a municipal finance, Governance and leadership expert, he writes in his personal capacity.