During intense political campaigns such as we have now, rhetoric often echoes with accusations of a candidate being “socialist” or even “communist.” If they are in favor of the government helping individuals or businesses weather difficult times or gain advantage over foreign competition, it is labeled as being “socialist.” 
Elon Musk (billionaire) has spoken out against higher taxes for the wealthy, is against subsidies for businesses and has stated that the government shouldn’t control capital. Let’s look at Musk’s track record on those issues:
Musk’s SpaceX got a $2.89 billion contract with NASA in April 2021. Also he received a $653 million contract with the Air Force in 2020. While not subsidies per se, it shows Musk is eager to do business with the big government he says “should not control capital.”
Pandemic stimulus cash flowed to Musk in 2020 in the form of “payroll benefits.” This he received while tweeting that individual citizens should NOT get personal aid from the federal stimulus package!!
Here are some more examples of Musk receiving government money:
New York State gave $750 million towards Musk’s SolarCity plant in Buffalo, N.Y. SolarCity reported in 2015 it had received $497.5 million in direct grants (outright subsidies) from the U.S. Treasury. A Los Angeles Times investigation shows that it was much higher at $1.5 billion based on reported sales. SolarCity also received tax credits that covered 30 percent of the cost of photovoltaic systems that SolarCity installed.
As of 2015, Tesla had sold $517 million in environmental credits to its competitors, thanks to enabling government legislation. Tax credits to purchasers of electric vehicles also led to more sales of Tesla EVs.
Nevada gave $1.3 billion to Tesla in the form of tax breaks and other incentives to build a Tesla “gigafactory” in 2014.
Texas gave Musk $15 million in 2014 in the form of economic development subsidies. This was to build the world’s first commercial rocket launch pad. Texas local and state officials changed state laws so as to be able to close a public beach during launches and provide legal protection against noise lawsuits!
Sources: Business Insider/Reuters/Los Angeles Times
These are not the only examples of rich folks using the principle of OPM, (Other People’s Money, a.k.a taxpayer’s money) to become wealthy while posing as independent “Captains of Industry,” and “anti-Socialists.”
Mark Roalson
Hoyt Lakes