In the history of modern states, no person has been able to convert their wealth into such global political influence. By buying Twitter, now rebadged X, Elon Musk has already hoisted himself into the US government. In doing so, he has made himself the chief amplifier of global authoritarianism. But it should also be recognized that while an amplifier strengthens sounds, it does not create them itself. What was previously a disturbing background noise has become noise broadcast across all channels.

Musk is surely undisturbed that X has lost such massive value since he bought it. Since helping Donald Trump win the presidential election, his wealth has risen to more than $400 billion. After the inauguration, it is expected to increase even further. As the head of the “Department for Government Efficiency” (DOGE), he can attempt to dismantle social, educational, and health programs, while his corporate conglomerate, which includes transport, aerospace, artificial intelligence (AI), and neurotechnology, will be even more directly connected to the government-subsidy pipeline.

Musk has already clashed with social democratic European heads of government several times. Vice president J. D. Vance has already threatened to withdraw the United States from NATO if the European Union regulates X. His fans on the libertarian right hail Musk as a genius entrepreneur and defender of freedom. In his media role (today the apparently dominant use of his time), Musk is above all an increasingly authoritarian agitator.