How Billionaire Power Surge Reshaping US National Security

In the evolving world of American national security, tech billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are no longer just outside innovators—they're becoming central players.

- 

Under Donald Trump's administration, their roles have expanded beyond their traditional industries, placing them in a position of unprecedented influence over intelligence and defense operations.

ROCKET AMBITIONS

In January, just before Donald Trump's second inauguration, Jeff Bezos's space company, Blue Origin, launched its New Glenn rocket from Florida's Cape Canaveral. Though the booster failed to return safely, the rocket's successful orbit signified a major leap in Blue Origin's rivalry with SpaceX, Elon Musk's aerospace firm.

Both Blue Origin and SpaceX are competing to secure contracts to launch spy satellites—an area once dominated by a handful of traditional defense contractors. With Trump back in office, these companies are poised to become key players in US espionage infrastructure, effectively tying America's intelligence capabilities to two of its most powerful tech moguls.

This shift marks a departure from decades of precedent. Historically, US intelligence was managed by career officials and a select group of contractors like Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies (RTX), and Northrop Grumman. Today, however, billionaires aligned with Trump are rapidly reshaping the ecosystem, drawing concern about undue influence, favoritism, and the creation of a new oligarchy in the defense sector.

THE TRUMP CONNECTION

Both Musk and Bezos have cultivated close ties with Donald Trump. Their relationships with the former president have opened doors in Washington that were previously sealed to outsiders, especially in the closely guarded intelligence community. In turn, their companies have reaped significant government contracts.