Big Tech Is Now Advising the White House — What Could Go Wrong? | Prof G Markets
President Trump has appointed 13 tech industry leaders — including Mark Zuckerberg, Jensen Huang, and Marc Andreessen — to formally advise the White House on science and technology policy. Unlike past councils dominated by academics, this one is stacked with billionaires who are deeply invested in the technologies they'll be shaping policy around. Meanwhile, SpaceX is preparing for what could be the largest IPO in history, targeting a $1.75 trillion valuation and potentially merging with Tesla. As the lines between industry influence and government oversight blur, the question becomes: who is really in control?
Key Takeaways
The president's science and technology advisory council now includes industry leaders like Zuckerberg, Huang, and Andreessen rather than traditional academics — a deliberate shift toward «doers» with real operational experience.
The core conflict is clear: the people most invested in AI technology are now advising on its regulation, creating potential for policies that prioritize profit over public protection.
SpaceX is targeting a $1.75 trillion valuation in what would be the largest IPO ever, raising $75 billion and potentially absorbing Tesla into a sprawling Musk conglomerate.
The Iran war has now lasted over a month — longer than Trump's original estimate — with oil prices up nearly 60%, gas up 30%, fertilizer up 50%, and more than $10 trillion in global market value erased.
In a Nutshell
The appointment of tech billionaires to the White House advisory council raises profound questions about conflicts of interest and regulatory capture, while SpaceX's planned mega-IPO underscores Elon Musk's unmatched ability to defy financial fundamentals and reshape entire industries through sheer promotional prowess.
Tech Billionaires Take the Wheel
Trump appointed 13 industry leaders to advise on tech policy — a shift from academics to «doers».
President Trump has named 13 tech industry leaders to the President's Council of Advisers on Science and Technology, including Mark Zuckerberg, Jensen Huang, Marc Andreessen, and Larry Ellison. This marks a sharp departure from historical precedent: since FDR established the first such council in 1933, appointees have typically been academics. Now, the White House is explicitly choosing «doers» — people actively building and profiting from the technologies they'll advise on.
The stated mandate is to ensure «all Americans thrive in the golden age of innovation.» Co-chairing the council are David Sacks, whose tenure as AI and crypto czar has ended, and Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The shift reflects a broader frustration within the private sector about the Biden administration's approach: decision-makers who had never run a P&L or balance sheet were perceived as disconnected from the realities of business.
Yet the move raises immediate questions about regulatory capture. The people advising on AI policy are the same people building AI companies, investing in AI startups, and standing to profit enormously from lenient regulation. Whether this represents pragmatic expertise or a dangerous conflict of interest depends largely on one's view of where the greater risk lies: in ignorance or in self-interest.
The Knowledge Gap vs. The Conflict of Interest
Liz Hoffman weighs the tradeoff between regulatory expertise and industry self-dealing.
“The knowledge gap between people doing the regulating and writing the laws and the industries they're regulating has been pernicious before. I'm not that bothered by this one because I guess what's the alternative, right? That again, you have this being regulated by people who have no idea what it is.”
What's Missing from the Council
SpaceX Eyes $1.75 Trillion Valuation
The company is preparing the largest IPO ever, potentially absorbing Tesla in the process.
SpaceX is reportedly preparing to file its IPO prospectus imminently, targeting a $1.75 trillion valuation and aiming to raise $75 billion. That would make it the seventh most valuable company in the world — more valuable than Meta, and even more valuable than Tesla. Earlier this year, Elon Musk merged xAI into SpaceX, which had already absorbed the social media platform X, raising the question of whether Tesla will be next.
John McNeill, former Tesla president and author of The Algorithm, outlined three reasons why a merger makes sense. First, it's simpler to run one public company than two. Second, combining the entities would bring AI resources closer to Tesla's core autonomy business in humanoid robots and self-driving cars. Third, it would solve Musk's frustration with his ownership stake at Tesla by consolidating control under SpaceX's cap table. McNeill estimates there's a better than 50% chance this happens.
Yet the path forward is complicated. Taking SpaceX public first — before merging with Tesla — invites an extra layer of regulatory scrutiny and makes any subsequent combination more difficult. The valuation itself hinges on retail investors looking past traditional financial metrics. SpaceX has roughly $15 billion in revenue but is seeking a valuation that implies extraordinary future growth. As McNeill put it, «I've never met somebody as good at their promote as Elon.»
The Fundamentals Don't Matter (Until They Do)
Musk has a unique ability to get investors to ignore financial logic.
“Tesla is a declining car business with declining margins. Margins have fallen by half in the last two years and yet it's worth twice as much as all other car companies combined. He has got an ability to get people to defy financial logic around these valuations. And I've learned not to bet against the guy.”
Iran War: The Numbers Keep Growing
Week five brings rising costs, death tolls, and inflation — far beyond original estimates.
The Risk of Desensitization
Longer wars numb us to their true cost — we must keep counting.
The Risk of Desensitization
As the Iran war stretches into its second month, the numbers are becoming harder to track and easier to ignore. We are entering the phase where destruction becomes background noise, where each new headline provokes confusion rather than outrage. History shows that when we stop counting, we stop caring. Keeping the numbers visible — and understanding what they mean — is the only way to maintain appropriate levels of accountability and urgency.
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