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The billionaire ally of President-elect Trump has reacted to claims that the news agency was pushed to investigate him
US billionaire Elon Musk, who was a crucial player in Donald Trump’s successful presidential campaign, has expressed support for an online theory that links London-based international news agency Reuters with investigations of his businesses under the current US administration.
The connection was suggested by Mike Benz, who heads the self-described pro-free speech website Foundation For Freedom Online. On Tuesday, he alleged in a post on X that the administration of outgoing US President Joe Biden “paid Reuters over $300 million in government contracts” while 11 governmental agencies “targeted Elon’s businesses.”
Benz cited public records of government spending reported by the database usaspending.gov as evidence of his claim, as well as a series of reports by Reuters about the entrepreneur that won a Pulitzer Prize in May. The series on ‘The Musk Industrial Complex’ focused on “grave harms to consumers, workers and laboratory animals across Elon Musk’s manufacturing empire.”
Musk called the purported connection “insane” and claimed it “explains a lot.” Reuters is “paid propaganda” that should be ashamed, he added.
The businessman emerged as a close ally of Trump after endorsing his candidacy in mid-July. He is slated to become a senior member of the incoming US administration responsible for cutting government inefficiency.
Prior to picking a side in the US race, Musk was heavily criticized by left-leading public figures and media outlets for his management of X, formerly known as Twitter, which he purchased in 2022. The stated objective of his multibillion-dollar acquisition was to eradicate censorship on the platform, which he claimed was silencing pro-conservative voices.
Critics claim that Musk has turned X into a hotbed of right-wing extremism, while failing to live up to the promise of free speech. The EU has threatened the platform with legal penalties for allegedly failing to tackle “disinformation.”
Last week, some outlets accused the Musk Foundation of failing to meet US requirements for charitable organizations, based on its latest tax returns submitted to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
This week, the New York Times reported that the billionaire and his firm SpaceX are being investigated for compliance with US rules on classified information. He responded to the report by stating that “deep state traitors are coming after me, using their paid shills in legacy media.”
In March, Musk stated that “The legacy media lies as easy as breathing,” and that “Reuters is the worst right now.”
