In one of the most turbulent periods of his business and personal journey is Elon Musk, as he is called to manage simultaneously a huge financial contraction of his companies, geopolitical turbulence surrounding the use of the Starlink network in Ukraine, as well as strong reactions to his political positions.
The nightmare week of the markets: Losses of 130 billion and the "former" trillionaire
The week that passed proved particularly painful for the American tycoon.
Shares of Tesla recorded a dramatic plunge of 18%, closing at 313.03 dollars, in the electric vehicle giant's worst weekly performance since 2022.
At the same time, the stock of SpaceX dropped by 7.2% closing at 115.07 dollars, marking the lowest level since the company's historic initial public offering (IPO).
This double retreat wiped out approximately 130 billion dollars from Elon Musk's personal wealth, just a few weeks after he had become the world's first trillionaire.
He himself, with a post on platform X, commented sarcastically: "(Former) trillionaire."
The fall of Tesla is attributed to the lower-than-expected second quarter financial results, as the company presented negative cash flows due to massive investments in future projects, such as robotaxis, humanoid robots, and the giant semiconductor factory.
Analysts at Argus Research point out that it will be nearly impossible for the company to achieve steady profitability growth in the immediate future, with the stock recording a total decline of 30% since the beginning of the year.
Anxiety skyrockets for Starship V3 and SpaceX - The double goal
At the same time, SpaceX is trying to regain its footing.
The successful 13th test flight of Starship, which was completed with a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean, is considered of key importance, as it marks SpaceX's transition from the experimental phase to operational maturity.
This is the first major mission after the company's entry onto Wall Street, significantly reducing technological risk for investors.
The 122 meter rocket proved its reliability by test carrying 20 Starlink V3 satellites into suborbital orbit.
By the end of 2026, Starship will be systematically utilized for the transport of new generation satellites, connecting the launch directly to internet provision for the end consumer.
Technological stability is critical for NASA, which has selected the craft for manned missions to the Moon, securing predictable cash flows.
This rocket is intended for the expansion of the Starlink satellite network, the transport of astronauts to the Moon, as well as future manned missions to Mars.
How Russian forces illegally obtained Starlink
Beyond the financial fronts, Elon Musk in an interview with The Economist magazine, took a position on the war in Ukraine, revealing the way in which Russian armed forces managed to gain access to his company's, SpaceX, Starlink terminal devices.
At the same time, the company's founder appealed to the West for an immediate compromise solution with Moscow.
As he clarified, SpaceX never sold equipment to the Russian side.
The devices were initially ordered through Ukraine and were subsequently smuggled into the eastern regions where Russian troops move.
To address the phenomenon, SpaceX in cooperation with Kyiv created a "white list," deactivating the devices to which the Russians gained access, although he himself expressed regret for the Russian citizens who lost internet access.
From Moscow's side, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the US of direct involvement in attacks against Russian territories through the Starlink network, while Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova ironically called on Elon Musk to "withdraw" the system to avoid further casualties.
Call for peace, realism, and positions on the far right - "Russia's withdrawal impossible"
Referring to the overall course of the war, Elon Musk favored an immediate peace agreement, arguing that the situation at the front remains unchanged for the past 2-3 years.
He characterized the prospect of Russian forces withdrawing from occupied territories as unrealistic and asked the West to make concessions.
"This does not mean that I am on Russia's side.
I am simply a realist: otherwise people will die for years without achieving anything," he characteristically stated.
In the same interview, tempers flared when editor in chief of The Economist, Zanny Minton Beddoes, asked him about his support for far right and populist parties, such as Germany's AfD and Britain's Restore Britain, beyond his close relationship with President Donald Trump.
Elon Musk reacted strongly, accusing traditional media of "absurd characterization" and arguing that these voters are "just regular people."
At the same time, the Musk family appears to maintain a consistently critical stance toward Kyiv, with his father, Errol Musk, openly stating from the SPIEF forum that he supports Moscow, claiming that Ukraine is controlled by 50 families without the will of the citizens.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump recently revealed the disagreements he had over the Ukrainian issue with the late senator Lindsey Graham, noting that he himself desired a swift end to hostilities in contrast to the senator.
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