Musk, who alleged 'oligarchy', now faces Bernie Sanders's accusation
What's the story
United States Senator Bernie Sanders has accused SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk of "oligarchy." The accusation comes days after Musk alleged that Starlink's internet services were being "blocked" in India. In a post on X, Sanders said, "Elon Musk spent $290 million to elect Trump. It paid off. Since his election, Musk got $696 billion richer & became the world's 1st trillionaire."
Political influence
Musk has spent $366M on 2026 US election cycle
Sanders further claimed that Musk was now "spending $366 million to keep Republicans in control of Congress." He ended his post with the words, "STOP MUSK. STOP OLIGARCHY."
Musk has spent around $366 million on the 2026 US election cycle, making him the biggest known individual donor this year.
A significant portion of the money has gone to Republican candidates for both chambers of Congress.
Service blockage
Musk alleged Starlink was blocked in India by 'certain oligarchs'
Musk had earlier alleged that Starlink was being "blocked" in India by "certain oligarchs" to maintain their "monopolistic chokehold."
He had also directly addressed Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani as "Prime Minister Ambani," questioning the influence of India's "oligarchs."
However, India's Ministry of Communications rejected Musk's claims, calling them "baseless and misconceived."
The ministry clarified that a fair and non-discriminatory authorization framework is in place for all telecommunication services, including satellite communication services.
Regulatory compliance
Starlink has been granted government license to operate in India
Starlink has been granted a government license to provide satellite communication services in India. However, it still awaits spectrum allocation and security clearances before starting commercial operations.
Other firms to receive the license are Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications.
The Ministry of Communications said security assessments are underway for all licensees at the same regulatory stage.