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Tue, April 22, 2025

The true genius of Elon Musk is his 'subsidy harvesting strategy,' political science professor says


Published on 2025-04-22 03:02:19 - Fortune
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  • Musk is particularly skilled in collecting money from the government for his companies, Jeb Barnes, a University of Southern California professor, said. Now he's in a political position where he could bolster that strategy.

Elon Musk's companies, including Tesla, SpaceX, and X.AI, have been strategically leveraging government subsidies and tax incentives to fuel their growth and innovation, according to a recent analysis by Fortune. Tesla has benefited from federal and state incentives for electric vehicles and renewable energy, while SpaceX has secured contracts and funding from NASA and the Department of Defense. X.AI, Musk's latest venture, is also poised to tap into government research grants and tax credits for artificial intelligence development. Critics argue that Musk's "subsidy harvesting" strategy allows his companies to gain a competitive advantage and pursue ambitious projects that might not be viable without public support. However, supporters contend that these subsidies are crucial for advancing cutting-edge technologies and driving economic growth in key sectors.

Read the Full Fortune Article at:
[ https://fortune.com/2025/03/19/elon-musk-subsidy-harvesting-strategy-tesla-spacex-xai-doge/ ]