1 / 11Elon Musk at Qatar Economic Forum: US-based billionaire Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and Starlink, took part in an in-depth interview at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha. The conversation offered a wide-ranging look at Musk’s various roles and ventures. As a leading figure in technology and space, his appearance highlighted his significant influence across corporate and governmental spheres. The discussion included insights on Starlink, weapons development, government advisory roles, Tesla’s recovery, AI regulation, and more. (Reuters photo)
2 / 11Starlink’s Global Reach: With Starlink accounting for nearly 80% of all active satellites, Musk noted its impact on connectivity and development and said, “The single biggest thing you can do to lift people out of poverty… is giving them an internet connection.” He also provided updates on Starlink’s potential initial public offering (IPO) and added, “It’s possible that Starlink may go public at some point in the future.” He elaborated on the challenges, noting, “More kind of time for is a way to make more money but at the expense of a lot of company overhead and inevitably whole much lawsuits which are very annoying.” (Bloomberg photo)
3 / 11No to Weapon Development: Addressing questions on military technology, Musk made clear that SpaceX has rejected proposals to develop weapons and said, “SpaceX has declined requests to build weapons.” The company remains focused on space launches, satellites, and internet terminals. “SpaceX builds rocket satellites and internet terminals,” he added. While previously open to supporting US defence needs if requested, Musk confirmed that no such projects are currently underway.
4 / 11Advisory Role to Government: Musk discussed his advisory work with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a body established under former President Donald Trump. “I am certainly an advisor. I don’t have formal power,” he said. Musk described a demanding travel schedule, balancing responsibilities between business and public service: “I was in Silicon Valley yesterday morning, LA yesterday evening, and I’m in Austin right now.” (AP photo)
5 / 11Tesla’s Market Recovery: On Tesla, Musk expressed confidence in the company’s recovery despite earlier setbacks, particularly in European sales. “Oh, it’s already turned around,” he claimed, citing Tesla’s trillion-dollar market capitalisation as evidence. “Sales are doing well at this point. You don’t anticipate any meaningful sales shortfall,” he said. Musk also reaffirmed his commitment to leading the company and said, “No doubt about that at all.” (Reuters photo)
6 / 11Regulating Artificial Intelligence: Turning to AI, Musk advocated for appropriate regulatory frameworks, likening oversight to referees in sports. “You can think of regulators like referees on the field in sports,” he said. He stressed that while new technologies currently lack regulation, safeguards are vital to public safety. “There is no regulator at all,” he warned, urging for balanced oversight as AI continues to evolve.
7 / 11Dispute with OpenAI: Musk also addressed his ongoing legal action against OpenAI, accusing the company of straying from its original mission. “OpenAI, they have made some changes to their corporate structure though, haven’t they,” he said. He confirmed his intention to proceed with the lawsuit: “I am pushing ahead with the lawsuit against OpenAI.” Musk objects to OpenAI’s shift from a non-profit, open-source model to a for-profit, closed-source structure, which he described as unacceptable.
8 / 11Political Spending Plans: Commenting on his political contributions, Musk announced plans to scale back. “I’m gonna do a lot less in the future,” he stated, citing public backlash as a key factor. However, he left the door open for future involvement if circumstances require it: “If I see a reason to [engage in political spending] in the future, I will do it.” Musk noted that while his influence extends globally, he has had minimal contact with foreign leaders, referencing only one video call with President Putin five years ago.
9 / 11Addressing Conflict of Interest Claims: Musk dismissed concerns about potential conflicts of interest related to his advisory role. “I don’t think so actually,” he said, explaining that any questionable contracts involving his companies would quickly become public. “If there’s a single contract any of the companies received people think was awarded improperly, it would immediately be front-page news.” (AP photo)
10 / 11Criticism of South African Laws: Musk criticised racial preference laws in South Africa, describing them as discriminatory. “Why are there racist laws in South Africa? It’s improper,” he said. He argued such policies run counter to Nelson Mandela’s vision: “The whole idea with Nelson Mandela… was that all races should be on equal footing.”
11 / 11Outlook for the Future: Looking ahead, Musk described 2025 as a pivotal year for his companies and projects. He highlighted efforts to make Starship rockets fully reusable: “Getting Starships to be fully reusable so we catch both booster and ship… will be the first fully reusable orbital rocket ever in history.” He also noted milestones for Neuralink, including potential vision restoration in a patient in the UAE, and Tesla’s upcoming launch of unsupervised autonomy in Austin. “It’s a big year for sure,” Musk concluded. (Reuters photo)
