Can democracy survive trillionaires? [View all]

Elon Musk and the trillionaire class test democracy’s limits
The one-person, one-vote principle never accounted for billionaires, let alone trillionaires

By Chauncey DeVega
Senior Writer
Published June 20, 2026 6:30AM (EDT)


(Salon) Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX, has made him the world’s first trillionaire. His fortune is now estimated at over $1.3 trillion. This is more than four times the wealth of the world’s second-richest man, Alphabet co-founder Larry Page (estimated at $300 billion).

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Of course, Musk and the other mega-wealthy are important to understand as individuals and personalities because they have immense power to impose their values, beliefs and behavior — both good and bad — on the rest of society. In the case of Musk and his relationship with Trump, MAGA, and the global anti-democracy right-wing and neofascist movement, this is terrifying.

As reported by Open Secrets, Elon Musk donated almost $300 million to Republican candidates, political action committees, and right-wing organizations in the 2024 election cycle. He is also using his fortune to support and finance extreme right-wing organizations and projects in the United States and around the world.

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A democracy rests upon the basic proposition of one person, one vote, and that members of a society should be able to determine their leaders and government. At its heart, democracy is a moral project.

Musk and the rest of this emerging class face no real limits on their behavior beyond what they choose to impose on themselves, to paraphrase billionaire president Donald Trump. .......................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2026/06/20/elon-musk-and-the-trillionaire-class-test-democracys-limits/