Hehascalledhimself a conservativelibertarianandwasclosewithcontroversialbloggerCurtisYarvin, whoreferstohimselfas a neo-monarchist. "You'llnoticethateverythingyouhavethatworkswasmadein a monarchyorby a monarchyorboth.
Soforexample, thisiPhone.
ThisiPhonewasproducedbyApple, whichis a monarchy." Thatis, it's a corporation.
CoretobothYarvinandThiel's politicsis a convictionthatpoliticalandeconomicsystemsarebloated, inefficient, andinneedofradicalreform. "I stillthinkthereis a lotthatonecoulddobyderegulating, having a lessseverelyregulatedeconomy." ThePayPalmafia's circleofinfluencesteadilyexpanded, connectingthemwithotherleadersinthesector.
OneofthoseconnectionswasShervinPishovar, a venturecapitalistwhoworkedonHyperloopwithMusk. "I thinkthisis a tech-centered, centristmovement, andwe'retechno-optimists." DuringtheObamaadministration, SiliconValleyflourishedthanksinparttogovernmentsupport. "Everytime I cometoSiliconValley, everytime I cometothisregion, I amexcitedaboutAmerica's future.
PeoplelikePresidentObamareallyheldupbigtechasthesebastionsofinnovation, ofjobcreation, asthesehomegrownplacesthatweshouldreallycelebrate." PishovarparticipatedintechroundtablesandservedontheFulbrightboardintheObamaadministration. "When I wasworkingonHyperloop, oneofthefirstpeople I pitchedittowasPresidentObama.
ThoughmanySiliconValleyleadersbackedHillaryClinton, ThielstoodapartfromhiscolleaguesasoneoffewtopubliclyendorseTrump. "I'm not a politician, butneitherisDonaldTrump.
SowhenPeterThielcameoutinsupportofDonaldTrump, whichwasnotreally a popularthingtodo, itkindofgavelegitimacytosupportingTrump." Inthe 2020 election, thecommunicationsandelectronicssector, whichincludesmany, butnotall, techcompanies, donated a recordamountofmoneytoDemocraticcandidatesandPACs.
Weneedlike a debathificationprogram, butlike a de-wokificationprogramintheUnitedStates." AndtensionwasgrowingbetweenMuskandDemocrats.
Themoreprogressivewingoftheparty, peoplelikeElizabethWarren, sortofmadehimthefaceofcorporategreed. "Theworld's richestfreeloaderevidentlyhas a verythinskin." AnotherpainpointforMuskwas a seriesofEVeventsheldbytheWhiteHouse.
I didn't mentionTeslaonceandpraisedGMandFordforleadingtheEVrevolution.
Soyouwerepissed.
Doesthissoundmaybe a littlebiased?" Biden's administrationalsocrackeddownonbigtechandworkedonregulationsaroundcryptoandAI. "Therewas a veryanti-cryptostanceandthathad a verynegativeimpactontheindustry.
InJune, Pishovarhosted a fundraiserwithDavidSachs.
Theeventraised $12 million. "I thinkeveryonecameawaywiththeimpressionthathe's a truepatriotwholovesAmericaandlovesAmericansandbelievesinAmericanexceptionalism." InOctober, AmericaPACbeganoffering $47 tothosewhoreferredregisteredvoterstosign a petitionsupportingtheFirstandSecondAmendments.
AndMuskstartedspeakingabout a potentialroleintheTrumpadministration. "AssumingPresidentTrumpiswilling, and I thinkheis, I intendtoplay a significantroleinmakinggovernmentefficient." "WatchingElonbecomemorepoliticallyengagedhasbeen, youknow, I thinkexhilaratingformanyofusbecauseheisthegreatestengineereverandhe's oneofthegreatestentrepreneursinhumanhistory." Democratsarestilloverwhelminglywinningsupportfromthecommunicationsandelectronicssector.