Musk's appointment sparked a scandal in the US – details from Politico

The appointment of Elon Musk and other tech entrepreneurs to the Pentagon's advisory group for Project Meridian has sparked a scandal in the US. Critics point to a conflict of interest, as Musk's and Luckey's companies already have multi-billion dollar contracts with the Pentagon.

New Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth launched a secret initiative called Project Meridian, aimed at shaping the future of military conflicts. The advisory group includes SpaceX founder Elon Musk, Anduril defense startup founder Palmer Luckey, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Their task is to develop a concept for US dominance in next-generation warfare within four months. However, this decision has drawn sharp criticism from current and former officials who see a direct conflict of interest: SpaceX and Anduril already hold multi-billion dollar government contracts. Democratic Party representatives in Congress accused Pentagon leadership of neglecting national security in favor of political and personal ties. The Defense Department insists that compliance with ethical standards will be monitored by the independent nonprofit organization MITRE. Critics emphasize that billionaires without professional military experience should not determine state strategy while also pursuing personal commercial interests.