You Need To Ask President Musk These Five Questions
What power have you got? Where did you get it from? In whose interests do you exercise it? To whom are you accountable? How can we get rid of you?
Tony Benn MP identified five crucial questions to ask the powerful.
"In the course of my life I have developed five little democratic questions. If one meets a powerful person--Adolf Hitler, Joe Stalin or Bill Gates--ask them five questions: "What power have you got? Where did you get it from? In whose interests do you exercise it? To whom are you accountable? And how can we get rid of you?" If you cannot get rid of the people who govern you, you do not live in a democratic system."
Tony Benn MP
In 'King of the World', my 2023 profile of Elon Musk, I looked at him through the framework of 'The Sovereign Individual.' A man beyond the reach of democratic accountability. Beyond national control. He is continuing to make that vision a reality.
Few figures in modern history have wielded such an unusual combination of influence, wealth, and unpredictability as Elon Musk. As the owner of X (formerly Twitter), CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and self-appointed global thought leader, Musk has long relished his role as a disruptor. But in the second Trump presidency, his status has shifted from a maverick billionaire celebrity to a key global power broker in an administration of oligarchs, populists, and fascists.
To understand President Musk's role - examine him through the lens of Tony Benn's five questions of power. Benn, a lifelong advocate for democratic accountability, argued that the powerful should always be subjected to these five inquiries:
What power have you got?
Where did you get it from?
In whose interests do you exercise it?
To whom are you accountable?
How can we get rid of you?
The answers will reveal whether you live in a democracy or under the jackboot.
1. What Power Have You Got?
Musk's power extends beyond his financial empire. He controls vast industrial networks that the US and other governments depend upon, from electric vehicles to space technology and satellite communications. His purchase of Twitter gave him a direct pipeline to global political discourse. Under Trump, Musk's power is not simply corporate or media —it is deeply intertwined with the state.
The Colour of Money
Under capitalism, the rich have power by owning the means of production. Hence, as the world's richest person, Musk is also the most powerful under that paradigm. There is nothing he cannot afford to do and no one he couldn't outspend in court.
Power over Public discourse
He can shape public discourse in ways even traditional media moguls cannot. And, critically, he has made it clear that he is willing to wield this power with an ideological slant—deboosting mainstream media, reinstating far-right figures, and elevating conspiracy theories.
He has the power of an amplified voice that can also drown out others - censoring and shadowbanning those he disagrees with - while claiming to be a free speech absolutist. He had the power to put Trump back on Twitter. He has millions of Twitter followers to whom he can spread an instant misinformation message.
The Power of Subverting Democracy
The European Union says that having a free and fair election is no longer possible because we cannot see what Social Media platforms like Musk are sharing and suppressing.
The Power of Data
Musk and DOGE kids seized access to federal data in unprecedented and illegal ways, with control over spending and employment. Control of government spending in the US should sit with Congress. As it is, Musk is physically stopping Congress from accessing Federal buildings.
2. Where Did You Get It From?
Musk's current political power in the US stems from being a special government employee of the president; it stems then from Trump, but his control over Trump comes from funding him - and who knows what Kompromat he has on him - certainly full access to all Trump's archive of private Twitter messages, just as an obvious example.
Ultimately, his power comes from his money - and Musk's fortune is built on taxpayer subsidies, government contracts, and private investment. His empire rests on public money. Government loans and green energy subsidies propped up Tesla; SpaceX exists because NASA and the Pentagon funnel billions into it; Starlink operates because of US military contracts.
Musk has carefully cultivated an image of self-made brilliance. It's a Scam. He's the Wizard of Oz, at the heart of Emerald City. He is conveniently omitting that his fortune stems from government support and, of course, the apartheid-era emerald mine wealth of his father.
He presents himself as an anti-government libertarian while remaining one of the largest beneficiaries of state largesse. He relishes the persona of innovator, inventor, engineer and founder when he is none of these things - he is an investor with PR.
3. In Whose Interests Do You Exercise It?
Musk is exercising power in the interests of Musk, the billionaire class, and those who he can leverage to act in his interests. His interests align with the powerful, the reactionary, and the disruptive. He acts against the 99%
In this Venn Diagram ( apologies, I do not know who to credit it to), we can see the overlap between the US Federal agencies He is defunding and shutting down and those investigating or regulating his business.
He reinstates far-right figures while suspending left-wing activists.
He decries "censorship" but suppresses critical journalists.
He cuts programs that stop babies from getting AIDS; he creates discrimination against anyone who isn't a white cis-male.
Musk is exercising power to further Trump's vengeful deregulation agenda, and he stands to benefit from it personally.
Musk's move to Texas—fleeing California's regulatory environment—foreshadowed the policies he seeks. A Trump government, free from democratic constraints, would allow Musk to expand his empire with the minimal interference he feels he deserves as a sovereign individual.
His new target, in supporting the far right and nationalists in Europe, is aimed to weaken and break up the EU; why? Because now America has fallen, the EU is the only large liberal democratic body that can hope to regulate Social Media and Billionaires.
In Geo-politics, his control over Starlink satellites gives him incredible military control. After a call with Putin, Musk ended a Ukrainian naval offensive by switching off their satellite communications.
4. To Whom Are You Accountable?
Musk also marks his own homework. The Trump administration confirmed He has the final say on if he has a conflict of interest.
"The President was asked and answered this question ( about Musk's conflict of interests) this week, and he said if Elon Musk comes across a conflict of interest with the contracts and the funding that DOGE is overseeing, then Elon will excuse himself from those contracts."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt
The most concerning aspect of Musk's power is that he is accountable to no one but himself. Unlike politicians, who must face elections, or CEOs of publicly traded companies, who must answer to shareholders, Musk enjoys near-absolute authority over his empire.
Having previously been outed from companies, He now runs Tesla with an iron grip, dismissed Twitter's board upon acquisition, and has ensured that SpaceX remains under his total control.
His actions on X demonstrate this lack of accountability. Personal whims dictate policy changes, algorithmic adjustments are made secretly, and criticism is met with hostility or censorship. Under the Trump regime, this unaccountability has become cemented.
5. How Can We Get Rid of You?
Musk can't be voted out - because he was never voted in.
Here lies the ultimate problem with unchecked billionaire power: no democratic mechanism to remove Musk. If a politician becomes corrupt or dangerous, they can be voted out. If a CEO fails, they can be ousted by shareholders. But Musk has insulated himself from all such checks.
With the White House openly supporting his ventures, Musk's influence has become more permanent. His political and economic power and control over vital technological infrastructure make him one of the most untouchable figures in modern history.
Even getting rid of Trump may not get rid of Musk. He wants to make x.com an 'everything' app - particularly a finance app- and he has gotten rid of any oversight on him doing so.
He has already got x as the only official source of some government administration.
Imagine - for example - having gutted federal aid and support, he launches a digital currency on x. He makes that the only way that food stamps, veteran's disability, and government pensions are made. It would be very hard to unpick and cement his power further as he could resist any changes by hurting a lot of people.
Deny, Defend, Depose.
Benn's five questions expose a grim reality: Musk is an unelected, unaccountable power, aligned with an emboldened Trump who wants to centralise power permanently in his presidency.
He is the face of surveillance oligarchy—he wraps himself in the language of innovation when his methods are as old as divide and rule. He claims to make a virtue of disruption when he brings destruction: less new world order and more new world chaos.
Musk's power may seem untouchable, but history reminds us that no oligarch is invincible. If the answer to "How can we get rid of you?" is silence, then the answer is resistance.
First, accountability must be forced where none exists:
Governments and regulators can challenge Musk's monopolies—if they have the will. The European Union has already taken steps with the Digital Services Act, demanding transparency from platforms like X. However, this only works if it is enforced. Public pressure must be relentless: demand oversight of tech billionaires, push for transparency in AI, satellites, and social media algorithms, and challenge every move that erodes democracy under the guise of "disruption."
Second, history offers a lesson:
Unchecked private empires can fall. Standard Oil was broken up. Media barons like William Randolph Hearst lost influence when exposed. Even Facebook, once seen as an unstoppable force, has been humbled by scandals and legal battles. Musk's power is built on the illusion of invulnerability—his companies depend on government contracts, public trust. A workforce that can still be organised. Consumers who can boycott. Don't drive Teslas; log out of Twitter.
Finally, power is measured by who you cannot criticise:
So then the answer is to criticise loudly and often. Musk thrives on controlling the narrative. He is sensitive to criticism. Tesla even sues customers who complain about crashing.
That makes telling the truth—about his businesses, failures, and unearned power—an act of defiance. The more people understand that his empire is a house of cards propped up by public money and government favours, the closer it comes to collapsing under its own weight.
Actually, these questions could be a good article format for looking at various people: any suggestions on who this would be an interesting analysis for?