Day 234: Musk Briefly Appears on Ukraine 'Kill List'; Putin Describes His Actions in Ukraine 'Correct and Timely'

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The Facts

  • Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and founder of SpaceX, briefly appeared on a website described as a Ukrainian "kill list" after reports suggested he may withdraw funding Starlink satellite internet terminals – the primary means of communication for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Musk's name was removed after the post started to gain attention on social media.

  • The website, Myrotvorets – Ukrainian for "peacekeeper" – frequently features profiles of those who've voiced criticism of the country, including Western journalists, Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters, and Darya Dugina, who was assassinated in a car bomb in the outskirts of Moscow earlier this year.


The Spin

Narrative A

Starlink's internet satellites have widely been described as a "game changer" for Ukraine, and Elon Musk has already donated upwards of $80M of its services to the country for free. Placing him on the kill list was a poor move.

Narrative B

Despite Musk's attempts to look like a hero, his companies are heavily subsidized, and SpaceX's Starlink satellites are already funded mainly by government entities. In a cheap move, the billionaire is clearly trying to pass what's left of the bill to someone else while still taking credit.


Metaculus Prediction


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