Several top business leaders and politicians gathered at the New York Times DealBook Summit, where Elon Musk was a major topic of discussion despite his absence. Musk has recently become a political advisor and confidant to President-elect Donald Trump, with a reported donation of $119 million to support Trump’s campaign.
Those in attendance praised Musk’s entrepreneurial abilities, citing his success at leading Tesla and SpaceX. Ken Griffin, billionaire hedge-fund manager and GOP donor, commended Musk’s skills, saying he “runs companies at a level of excellence that very few can relate to.” Sam Altman, OpenAI CEO, also praised Musk’s business acumen, stating that he pushed him and others to think more ambitiously.
However, not everyone was convinced by Musk’s intentions. Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO, expressed skepticism about the potential for Musk to use his newfound influence for personal gain, while Sundar Pichai, Alphabet CEO, acknowledged xAI as a formidable competitor in the AI space.
Those with political experience seemed more unfazed by Musk’s new role, including Jerome Powell, chair of the Federal Reserve, and former President Bill Clinton. Powell expressed confidence in the Fed’s independence, despite Musk’s signals of support for reforming the central bank. Clinton downplayed the significance of Musk’s influence, stating that Trump values his wealth above all else.
As the world waits to see how Musk will use his new position, these leaders offer a range of perspectives on his abilities and intentions – from cautiously optimistic to outright skepticism.
Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/what-clinton-altman-bezos-say-about-elon-musk-dealbook-2024-12