Levin: Elon Musk’s Growing Power Over U.S. Telecom Policy

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14, 2024 – Elon Musk could wield more influence over the Trump administration's telecom priorities than the heads of traditional regulatory bodies, an industry expert said Thursday.

Musk, the CEO of rocket company SpaceX and its satellite internet service provider Starlink, has played a growing role in shaping conservative views on broadband policy, particularly through his close relationship with Donald Trump and the authority he holds as the owner of the X microblogging platform.

"Musk is so powerful that he will be dominating the agenda," said Blair Levin, policy analyst for New Street Research and former chief of staff to FCC Chairman Reed Hundt in the early 1990s, during a Jenner & Block webinar on Thursday.