Elon Musk's public fallout with US President Donald Trump might just have cost him hundreds of billions of dollars, as SpaceX could end up missing out on a key role in a major new government project.
Friendship might not have been the only cost of the public spat between Elon Musk and Donald Trump, as the pair flung allegations and threats at each other following the former's departure from his role at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Musk claimed that he was the reason why the president was elected, alongside alleging that Trump is in the Epstein files - although he has since expressed regret for that particular claim.
How is Musk's argument with Trump affecting his companies?
Conversely, Trump diagnosed the billionaire with 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' and in a potentially disastrous move threatened to rip up any of Musk's government contracts, putting the future of Musk's Tesla, Starlink, and SpaceX in jeopardy.
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Cutting electric vehicle credits, ending military satellite contracts, and severing ties between SpaceX and NASA would be incredibly damaging for Musk, but the biggest danger lies in his ties to Trump's now confirmed Golden Dome project.
If you're unaware, the Golden Dome is set to be the most advanced missile defense system in the world, and could cost upwards of $524,000,000,000 when completed.
If everything goes to plan it would boast the ability to destroy or divert advanced missiles - including nuclear weapons - sent by foreign nations and even from space, giving the United States significant military protection over its enemies.
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Experts have indicated that it might not quite work as planned with some glaring flaws and vulnerabilities, and Trump's claims that it will be done by the end of his current term are likely wishful thinking.
Will Musk still be a part of the Golden Dome project?
However, Musk through SpaceX and Starlink was set to be a major winner now that Golden Dome got the go ahead, earning himself billions of dollars as a leading party in the defense system's construction.
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SpaceX already earned between $6 billion and $10 billion through the Golden Dome's preliminary design and engineering phase, and would be in line for far more once things truly got going.
However, as reported by the Independent, SpaceX's involvement in the Golden Dome project has now been put into question and is growing more uncertain by the day - and it's all thanks to the fallout between Musk and Trump.
As per Reuters, a White House source has indicated that the Pentagon is now looking for alternatives to Musk, and could even forego the satellite part of the plan that was going to be led by SpaceX in favor of an expansion of existing ground systems.
"The Trump Administration is committed to a rigorous review process for all bids and contracts," outlined a White House spokesperson, adding that the Pentagon "has no announcements regarding future contracts associated with the Golden Dome effort."