> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://werd.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# How X Is Benefiting as Musk Advises Trump
- URL: https://werd.io/how-x-is-benefiting-as-musk-advises-trump/
- Published: 2025-04-07T13:37:57.000Z
- Updated: 2025-04-07T13:37:57.000Z
- Author: Ben Werdmuller
- Tags: Notable links, #Import 2025-06-11 21:47

\[[Kate Conger in The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/07/technology/elon-musk-x-trump.html?unlocked%5Farticle%5Fcode=1.904.EINZ.IYA0q9PaeB7-&smid=nytcore-ios-share)\]

Here's one way Elon Musk is gaining from his involvement in the current administration:

> "The positioning of X as a powerful government mouthpiece has helped bolster the platform, even as the company continues to struggle."

It's worth remembering that [xAI just bought X in an all-stock transaction](https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateoflahertyuk/2025/03/31/elon-musks-xai-buys-x-heres-what-that-means-for-you/) \- he's also gaining by pointing his AI engine directly at federal government information in a supposed effort to make it more efficient.

But even the social media endorsement is a big deal. In some ways buying advertising on X is akin to would-be political influencers buying extravagant stays at Trump hotels:

> "Conservatives have found that X is a direct pipeline to Mr. Musk, allowing them to influence federal policy. He has responded to viral complaints about the government on the platform, and his cost-cutting initiative has marked users’ concerns as “fixed.”"

It makes real the idea that the social media site isn't about building a business in itself, but about creating a new instrument of power. The comparisons between Elon's strategy and William Randolph Hearst are obvious; it's just, he's far, far dumber.

[#Democracy](https://werd.io/tag/Democracy)

\[[Link](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/07/technology/elon-musk-x-trump.html?unlocked%5Farticle%5Fcode=1.904.EINZ.IYA0q9PaeB7-&smid=nytcore-ios-share)\]