The European Union has paid hundreds of millions of euros to businesses owned by Elon Musk — the world’s richest man, a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, and a frequent critic of the EU — according to a document seen by AFP.
German Green EU lawmaker Daniel Freund sent a letter to the European Commission in March, requesting details about any EU funds directed to Musk-linked companies.
In response, the European Commission confirmed that it paid around €159 million ($176 million) to Tesla in 2023 to help build charging stations for electric vehicles.
The Commission also said that in 2024, it awarded a contract worth around $197 million to Musk’s aerospace company, SpaceX, to launch satellites for the EU’s Galileo system. According to the EU, it selected SpaceX “due to delays in the commissioning of Ariane 6, the standard launch vehicle for Galileo.”
Additionally, the Commission stated it had paid Musk’s social media company X €630,000 for advertising campaigns, before suspending use of the platform’s ad services in October 2023.
The financial support comes as relations between the EU and the U.S. have grown more strained since Trump returned to the White House in January. Musk has also repeatedly criticized the EU’s digital rules, calling them censorship.
Critics, including Freund, argue that the EU should reconsider its financial ties to Musk. “This man is an outspoken enemy of the EU and our core values. It is unacceptable that we continue to pay the richest man in the world hundreds of millions,” Freund posted on X.
