1. Carbon Credits or Carbon Crimes?

Tesla made over $1.79 billion in 2022 from selling regulatory carbon credits to other automakers who couldn't meet emissions standards (Tesla 2022 Annual Report). While it sounds like a win for the environment, critics argue it's a loophole that lets polluting companies avoid real decarbonization.

“It’s a shell game,” says environmental analyst Lucas Davis at UC Berkeley. “You're shifting emissions around instead of eliminating them.”

Global Impact: These credits are traded globally, affecting environmental policies from Europe to China. The system benefits Tesla, but delays true emissions reductions.

2. Public Money, Private Rockets

SpaceX has received over $15.3 billion in U.S. government contracts and awards since its founding, including from NASA and the Department of Defense (CNBC). And while space exploration benefits science, it raises questions about public money funding private ventures.

Global Reach: SpaceX's Starlink is expanding into Africa, Asia, and South America, effectively becoming a global internet utility — controlled by a single company. Some nations worry about sovereignty over digital infrastructure.


Build Your Own Rocket 🚀

Still dreaming of Mars? Until you’re SpaceX-funded, here’s how to build your own launchpad — or at least feel like you did:

• DIY Rocket Science Kit for Grown-Ups

• Brain-computer interface toy (yes, that’s real)

• Reusable flamethrower-shaped grill lighter

3. Green Cars, Dirty Supply Chains

Tesla's push for electric vehicles has changed the industry, but its cobalt and lithium supply chains tell a different story. Cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo is linked to child labor and unsafe conditions (Amnesty International). Lithium mining in South America is draining vital water sources, affecting Indigenous communities (The New York Times).

"Electric isn't automatically ethical," says climate journalist Emily Atkin.

Planetary Footprint: Musk's green vision still relies on global extractivism — often from the Global South.

4. The X Factor: Free Speech or Paid Chaos?

Since acquiring Twitter (now X) in 2022, Musk has made sweeping changes that triggered an advertiser exodus and massive revenue drop. Fidelity estimates X is worth 66% less than what Musk paid for it (Reuters).

Meanwhile, watchdogs like the Center for Countering Digital Hate reported a sharp rise in hate speech and misinformation post-acquisition.

Global Cost: X is a major info pipeline in places with limited press freedom. A destabilized platform doesn't just affect Silicon Valley — it can inflame political tensions worldwide.

5. Neuralink: Tech Messiah or Medical Mayhem?

Neuralink promises brain-computer interfaces, but the journey has been messy. The U.S. FDA initially rejected its application for human trials in 2022 due to safety concerns (Reuters). Animal testing reportedly resulted in over a dozen monkey deaths during experimentation.

Ethical Oversight: Who governs the commercialization of human consciousness? And should private capital lead the way?

6. Taxation: Zero Gravity for the Ultra-Wealthy

Musk paid $0 in income tax in 2018 and an effective tax rate of 3.27% between 2014 and 2018, despite his wealth increasing by billions (ProPublica).

Planetary Disparity: As global inequality grows, Musk’s tax strategy becomes a case study in how billionaires shape tax policy through avoidance, not contribution.


Finance Books Billionaires Won’t Read

Want to understand the systems behind billionaire tax avoidance and global inequality? These reads go deeper than any Twitter thread:

• Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Piketty (dense but brilliant)

• Winners Take All by Anand Giridharadas

• Can’t Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation

7. Manufacturing Hype, Delaying Reality

The Hyperloop was a promise in 2013. A decade later? Still vaporware. Full Self-Driving mode has been in beta for years, and Tesla has faced lawsuits for false advertising (BBC).

Financial Fallout: Investors who bought the hype may be left holding the bag, and safety regulators worldwide are tightening oversight.

8. The Myth of the Savior CEO

We love a good hero arc. But Musk is just a man — one with a powerful PR machine. As his global influence grows, so does the danger of investing too much hope (or money) in one person.

"Musk is what happens when innovation escapes regulation," says author Tim Maughan.

The tools to use to avoid becoming Elon 2.0
(minus the space bunker)

• Budget planner journal

• Minimalist wallet (Chums are amazing) 

• Cheap LED light bulbs to offset your guilt

• Spot the Narcissist: The Ultimate Guide to Becoming Un-Manipulatable