In reversal, Elon Musk says SpaceX will continue funding Starlink in Ukraine

[blue-wave]

Source: CBS News

Elon Musk on Saturday announced that his company would continue to pay for Starlink satellite internet in war-torn Ukraine, a day after suggesting he cannot keep funding the project.

"The hell with it," the world's richest man wrote on Twitter. "Even though Starlink is still losing money & other companies are getting billions of taxpayer $, we'll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free."

Musk had said on Friday that SpaceX would not be able to pay for Starlink in Ukraine indefinitely.

And the U.S. military confirmed it was communicating with the billionaire's company about funding for the key network.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elon-musk-spacex-funding-starlink-ukraine/?intcid=CNM-00-10abd1h

[elleng]

1. I've not paid attention to him.

Who cares?

SHOULD I?

[speak easy]

6. Yes. There are 20,000 Starlink dishes in Ukraine,

which provide internet to military units, liberated towns, and backup for government. Ukraine has one of the most digitalized infrastructure and services provision in the world.

[elleng]

8. Thanks.

[speak easy]

9. On the other hand ... :)

The Tesla Model Q (no I don' like the guy)

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100217254534

[elleng]

12. faster than a Tucker Carlson monologue!!!!

[mitch96]

24. I think he saw Beau of the Fifth column's vid.. The statement about cutting Starlink in Ukraine

could put any further DoD spending for SpaceX in jeopardy.
With these guys it's all about the money...
m

[Gore1FL]

34. I think that ship sailed for him now, anyways.

He's shown he is both capable and willing to pull the plug at any time. Who wants a service like that?

[Delphinus]

38. Thank you

This is important information to refute Musk's comment (from the OP):

"The hell with it," the world's richest man wrote on Twitter. "Even though Starlink is still losing money & other companies are getting billions of taxpayer $, we'll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free."

Musk had said on Friday that SpaceX would not be able to pay for Starlink in Ukraine indefinitely.

And the U.S. military confirmed it was communicating with the billionaire's company about funding for the key network.

[USALiberal]

31. Google it!!!

[Lovie777]

2. I don't trust him .....

Ukraine watch your back.

[speak easy]

3. "the U.S. military confirmed it was communicating with [Starlink] about funding"

"put out a statement that Ukraine won't be cut off, or you get nothing"

[questionseverything]

14. I hope you are correct

[chowder66]

4. This guy is so all over the place... it's a wonder that anyone would do business with him

at this point. I'm glad he's helping Ukraine but I hope someone with a level head is actually doing what needs to be done.

[speak easy]

7. see #3 IMO

Ambit claims, ongoing negotiation.

[mahina]

20. You know who really doesn't like him? The guys who founded Tesla.

Which he takes credit for constantly

[chowder66]

23. I've read that and I don't blame them.

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Poor little rich man

Who knew?

[Docreed2003]

10. Dude sounds remarkably like Trump...what a prick

[Conjuay]

42. that was my impression:

trump 2.0

[sinkingfeeling]

11. Musk isn't honest.

SpaceX's letter to the Pentagon now gives a better look into who is funding Starlink in Ukraine. According to the letter, of the 20,000 Starlink terminals in Ukraine, around 85% were funded by third-parties like countries such as the U.S. and Poland. For SpaceX's part, the company has covered about 70% of the internet connectivity costs. SpaceX says the terminals costs anywhere from $1,500 to $2,500. Additionally, Starlink's highest level of service, which is what it provides to Ukraine, costs $4,500 per month.

Of course, this would be far from the first time Musk has asked the government for money. SpaceX has received billions of dollars over the years in government subsidies, so in a way the U.S. was already paying for Starlink for Ukraine. Now, Musk's just asking for more.

https://mashable.com/article/musk-spacex-starlink-ukraine-pentagon-funding

[blue-wave]

13. +1000

[SalamanderSleeps]

19. and another +1000.

[SunSeeker]

27. Thank for pointing that out.

I wish every journalist covering Elon Musk's Starlink would mention that!

[Wonder Why]

35. The only reason the greedy billionaires do anything "out of the goodness

of their heats" is when others are paying for it. Probably he CIA is funding it and Musk is probably overcharging them by adding "fees", "modem rental" and requiring automatic payments, online billing and binding arbitration from the CIA.

[Lulu Latech]

15. His behavior just proves that public/private partnerships compromises our nations security

My guess is that Musk got a stern talking to by some powerful stakeholders in our government. We certainly don't need to continue to fund a loose cannon.

[nycbos]

16. My theory of Musk is...

... he doesn't care if he gets good press or bad press. Just as long as he gets to see his name in the news.

He follows the "there is no such thing as bad publicity" school of thought.

[Maeve]

17. Musk-rats can be force to retreat

But it takes direct confrontation.

I actually helped my dad skin muskrats we trapped in our pond back in the day....there was a bounty on them

[Kablooie]

18. I hope he realizes that ...

His technical assistance is appreciated but his political advice is abhorrent.

[NQAS]

21. I thought I read earlier today that he's being paid

Somebody needs to clear this up.

Is starling units being purchased by someone or sons country? Are the spacex Services being paid for?

Given musk’s pro Russia stance, how c add n we be sure the Russians aren’t intercepting communications over starlink?

Lots of questions. Lots of muddied waters. What a vile creature.

[EX500rider]

25. If he was pro Russia wouldn't they have the starlink instead of Ukraine?

[blue-wave]

26. Read post #11

You are correct. There have been other entities helping to pay for the system.

[Hekate]

22. It's pocket change to the world's richest man, & he decided to take Putin's side after all...

While I am relieved he’s changed his mind (for now) , his record of jerking large numbers of people around mitigates my sympathy and fellow-feeling.

[truthisfreedom]

28. I think he needs more sleep.

He just sounds cranky.

[Eugene]

29. Pentagon: There's not just SpaceX

‘There’s not just SpaceX’: Pentagon looks beyond Starlink after Musk says he may end services in Ukraine

“There’s not just SpaceX, there are other entities that we can certainly partner with when it comes to providing Ukraine with what they need on the battlefield,” Sabrina Singh, the Pentagon’s deputy press secretary, said when asked about the report. “I’m not going to show our hand right now on exactly what those are or who we’re talking to.”

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/10/14/starlink-ukraine-elon-musk-pentagon-00061896

Among other things, SpaceX is a defense contractor, and government contracts help keep the lights on. Elon just bit the hand that feeds him.

[ShepKat]

30. pocket change

he sweeps that kind of money off the floor. HAHA nah...
he pays people to sweep money like that off the floor. There, I fixed it.

[Karma13612]

32. Well, well, well...

All I can say is, how did a business person EVER become so successful as Elon by being so unreliable and capricious???

He keeps pulling this crap and thinks people won’t eventually catch on. If I were potentially going to do business with this little $hit, I’d walk away. Right now.

To the world:

Stop dealing with this heartless, egotistical, compassion-lacking man baby. We aren’t a TV film-set for Billions. This is real life with real consequences which exist after you turn off the TV.



CAFM

[stopdiggin]

36. sums it up nicely

And, in particular - the U.S. government, and military, needs to take a hard look at the advisability of any dealings with such a capricious entity. Profoundly destabilizing to have a business partner crashing around like a bull in a china shop. The government needs to seek out more solid footing. (investors would be well advised to do the same)

[Karma13612]

41. [phone]

Just one more example of why we should never ever privatize SS and MCR.

[Shop olive]

33. He had to buy Twitter against his own will

This guy needs mental therapy.

[Aviation Pro]

37. Bet someone told him it's not in his best interests

"Nice Space-X contract ya got there, Mollusk, be a shame if anything should happen to it."

[former9thward]

39. Space X has been delivering supplies to the International Space Station since 2012.

They have started delivering astronauts to the station recently. Who else can do that?

[BumRushDaShow]

40. "Space X has been delivering supplies to the International Space Station since 2012."

Boeing with its Starliner craft that docked with ISS for the first time this past May - https://www.space.com/boeing-starliner-docking-international-space-station

[Heather MC]

43. We're being punk'd

Every other week this man changes his mind about something.

I wonder if he makes an Announcement in public, Like "I'm not going to buy Twitter", or "I'm not going to maintain star link", As a way to call for funding of some kind out loud, but in transactions are done in secret.

I just think there's something deeper behind all of this than him just being a bumbling idiot.🤷🏾‍♀️

Look how trump portrays himself as a bumbling idiot but then we find out he orchestrated
January 6th.

Don't get me wrong I'm not saying the Orange monkey is a genius lol no one could keep that act up for this long. I do think these distractions are unintentional

So what is the truth in what Elon was doing? Did he signal a way to get more money for this for the things that he didn't want to pay for anymore? I don't know. 🤷🏾‍♀️

It's just weird how men like Elon, Orange monkey, and that My Pillow idiot Are constantly announcing things in the media, stuff that you would think they wouldn't want people to know.

I think they figured out they can do business out in the open and nobody will suspect anything. If they behave Seemingly erratically, we will ignore when they're actually putting truth out there that they want someone to know that's not us

Like when Michael Landell said the FBI told me not to say anything, but they took my phone they took everything I have no way to conduct business. He was making sure somebody that he wanted to hear him, knew he was compromised.

That's the only thing that makes sense about these men and their big mouths. 🤔🤔🤔

And then the media plays along by asking dumb questions like "well if he does it out in the open is it really a crime"?
And constantly asking hmmm "is this illegal does"? or "Does this really meet the snuff test for a crime"?

It just seems very odd doesn't it?