The Global Story: What Elon Musk did next

**Asma Khalid** (0:00)
Hey there, I'm Asma Khalid.

**Tristan Redmond** (0:01)
And I'm Tristan Redmond, and we're here with a bonus episode for you from the Global Story Podcast.

**Asma Khalid** (0:07)
The world order is shifting. Old alliances are fraying and new ones are emerging. Some of this turbulence can be traced to decisions made in the United States. But the US isn't just a cause of the upheaval. Its politics are also a symptom of it.

**Tristan Redmond** (0:23)
Every day, we focus on one story, looking at how America and the world shape each other.

**Asma Khalid** (0:29)
So we hope you enjoy this episode. And to find more of our show, just search for The Global Story, wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

**Donald Trump** (0:38)
So I'm going to ask if it's possible to have Elon get up first and talk about Doge because it seems to be of great interest to everyone.

**Asma Khalid** (0:46)
That's President Trump speaking at the very first cabinet meeting of his second term, back in February of 2025

**Donald Trump** (0:53)
So Elon, if you could get up and explain where you are, how you're doing and how much we're cutting. It's an honor to have you, he's been a tremendously successful guy.

**Asma Khalid** (1:02)
I remember this meeting quite well because I was actually there in the room as a journalist. These were the days when I used to cover the White House for NPR.

**Elon Musk** (1:12)
Thank you, Mr. President. Well, I actually just call myself a humble tech support here because this is actually as crazy as it sounds, that is almost a literal description of the work that the Doge team is doing.

**Asma Khalid** (1:28)
At the time, you probably recall that Musk was designated a special government employee leading this Trump initiative called the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. And Musk had grand plans to slash government spending, promising to reduce the federal deficit.

**Elon Musk** (1:43)
We do need to move quickly if we're to achieve a trillion dollar deficit reduction in financial year 2026 It requires saving $4 billion per day, every day, from now through the end of September. But we can do it and we will do it.

**Asma Khalid** (2:01)
And sure, it was odd to hear from someone at a cabinet meeting who was technically not an official member of the cabinet. But that wasn't what really struck me about this moment. No, what struck me was the respect and deference that Musk commanded in that room. It's hard to remember now, but at the time, there was chatter in Washington about who was really running the show.
And then, somewhat unceremoniously, Elon Musk was gone.

**Elon Musk** (2:27)
I expect to remain a friend and an advisor, and certainly if there's anything the president wants me to do, I'm at the president's service.

**Asma Khalid** (2:37)
In May of last year, Musk left Doge, and though he's since remained an extremely high-profile figure, he's been laying somewhat low until the last few weeks, when his lawsuit against his former colleague, OpenAI founder Sam Altman, landed him back in the headlines. But just because we didn't see him doesn't mean he went away. In fact, in the years since his departure from the White House, while the public's attention was elsewhere, the world's richest man was quietly shoring up his control of space and the world's internet.
From the BBC, I'm Asma Khalid in Washington, DC. And today on The Global Story, even though he's no longer in the heart of power in Washington, is Elon Musk now more powerful than ever?

**Lily Jamali** (3:33)
Well, Asma, this is the tech trial of the century for us here on The Tech Beat.

**Asma Khalid** (3:39)
That's Lily Jamali, the BBC's North America technology correspondent. She's been in Oakland, California, covering this landmark trial between Elon Musk and Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI.

**Lily Jamali** (3:50)
And in order to get access to the courtroom, you either need to have had a media pass, which we do, or you gotta get in line around five in the morning and just hope that you get a seat.

**Asma Khalid** (4:01)
Lily, in our episode today, we want to take the long view on what exactly Elon Musk has been up to since he left the White House about a year ago. And I don't think that we can have this conversation in this moment about Elon Musk without mentioning that he is currently suing the CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman. That trial of those two tech titans is underway as we tape, and I know you have been in the courtroom in California covering it all. So let me just start there. What is this lawsuit actually about?