Musk came from South Africa, and now returns to South Africa
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Musk came from South Africa, and now returns to South Africa
Musk wants the stars and the vast ocean, but what humans desire is comfort—comfort so absolute that they'd die for it.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsBy Zuo Ye
So big, so beautiful—Musk’s doom approaches.
In reality, Trump has treated Musk exceptionally well. In March, under U.S. pressure, South Africa's land reform effectively stalled. The country had originally planned to transfer 30% of land from white farmers to Black citizens "without compensation."
Moreover, the United States refused to attend the G20 summit hosted by South Africa, citing allegations that South Africa was committing "genocide" against white people—a move that sent shockwaves across the world. This marked the first time since the Age of Exploration that racial roles were reversed on such a global stage, creating a surreal and absurd spectacle.
In truth, Trump's focus isn't on foreign affairs but on domestic political battles. His primary objective is defeating the Democrats. It's hard to believe his unusually aggressive stance toward South Africa stems from genuine concern for white South Africans—it's more likely a gesture of loyalty to his political benefactor.
This is classic Trump: he delivers what he promises voters, and even more fiercely what he promises allies like Musk—even if it means sacrificing America's international relations.
He really does. I’m weeping.
Trump doesn’t hate South Africa; he just wants to make money. But Musk remains deeply haunted by the fall of white rule in South Africa. In his mind, today’s South Africa is tomorrow’s America—and his mission is to prevent that future at all costs.
The central point of contention is the Big Beautiful Bill (BBB), or “3B Act.” The 3B bill wasn’t the spark that broke Trump and Musk apart, but rather the outcome of their diverging ideologies.
To Musk, the 3B bill is a one-billion-dollar stupider version of the 2B bill. Widening wealth inequality? Not a problem—he’s already among the ultra-rich. Subsidizing fossil-fuel vehicles? Acceptable too, given that Musk’s empire extends beyond Tesla; SpaceX could benefit from increased government contracts.
But what truly troubles Musk is the Trump camp’s abandonment and trampling of fiscal discipline.
Despite its name “Big and Beautiful,” the bill is actually old and outdated, mirroring the logic of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act—both emulate Reagan’s economic stimulus policies from the 1980s.
Yet while the bills are similar, America today is vastly different.
During Reagan’s era, deindustrialization was beginning—meaning America still had industry. Today, the U.S. is fully deindustrialized. Further tax cuts and economic stimulus will only inflate national debt, inflate stock markets, and fuel dollar-denominated inflation.
Trump doesn’t care. As a political patchworker, he just needs America to keep going. But Musk cares deeply—America should be rebuilding its economy seriously.
Image caption: Trump pays off his loan. Image source: Bloomberg
Musk is a proven entrepreneur who succeeded across multiple industries before politically betting on Trump. Trump, meanwhile, went bankrupt several times, only clearing his skyscraper mortgage after returning to power—minting coins and selling hype along the way.
If the 3B bill passes, America will add at least $3 trillion to its national debt. This not only contradicts Musk’s goal of shrinking government spending, but risks pushing U.S. debt into irreversible crisis—ending either in MMT (Modern Monetary Theory) becoming reality or federal insolvency.
As for the idea that stablecoins could save the day—it won’t happen. The reason is simple: U.S. debt is simply too massive, reaching tens of trillions. A $250 billion stablecoin issuance can’t cover it. Even if scaled up tenfold, it wouldn’t begin to cover interest payments.
Trump’s deregulation of crypto activities reflects less strategic economic thinking than direct payback to lobbying groups. At the last moment, new-money players like Coinbase and Silicon Valley right-wingers like Peter Thiel rallied behind Trump, betting on his victory.
This is an open-and-shut political transaction—not some grand master plan crafted by Trump.
If Musk cannot forget the fall of white rule in South Africa, how could he possibly remain indifferent to the potential decline of white America?
Hence, Musk is fighting with everything he has to block the 3B bill—even if it means “leaving government” and returning to business. In response, Trump threatened to deport Musk back to South Africa, reenacting the historical drama between Lü Buwei and Qin Shi Huang.
What have you done for America, that America grants you DOGE and NASA contracts?
Thus, the relationship between businessman and politician rapidly unfolds—from courtship, to love, to hatred, to betrayal—all within months, not decades.
Yet Musk’s mercantile mindset will ultimately save him. Just as his support for Trump was about doing business, not dying for ideology, no true businessman goes all-in on politics. Musk still commands hundreds of billions and runs multiple major companies. Trump, however, has gone all-in—his only options now are victory or prison.
Democratic political persecution? Ineffective—I’ll still return to the White House for a second term;
Unable to defeat the Houthis militarily? Endure—I’ll still mediate conflicts between Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Iran;
Tariffs unresolved in the East? Keep going—I’ll still win through Vietnam.
Image caption: A praising tune. Image source: @elonmusk
Although Musk publicly talks about forming a new party—the American Party—and building a new America, in practice he’s quietly lowering his profile, returning to his roots as a businessman, refocusing on AGI (xAI), rockets, and cars. Business must go on, subsidies or not.
Still, we live in the age of capitalism. Where is Jack Ma? That question boomerangs. But ultimately, Jack Ma retained both personal freedom and financial autonomy. In the heartland of capitalism, Musk won’t be shot eight times. A toast, an apology—that chapter will pass.
The real danger lies ahead: how long can Musk sustain his identity as an industrial capitalist?
Ironically, Musk became an industrialist out of necessity. Since early 2000s, when competing with Peter Thiel over PayPal, Musk’s X.com aimed to become a one-stop financial platform. His plan to rebrand Twitter stemmed from the same ambition. Yet now, Thiel’s new digital bank Erebor is about to launch, while Musk remains preoccupied with Starship.
Erebor plans to fill the market void left by Silicon Valley Bank’s (SVB) collapse, offering services to crypto firms.
Perhaps we’ve misunderstood Musk all along. He once believed escaping Earth to build utopias on Mars and the Moon was humanity’s best path forward. But ideological and political conflicts would follow us there. You can never escape them. Take Thiel again—his Palantir is now a major defense contractor, quietly profiting in the shadows.
During the congressional process of the Big Beautiful Bill, a former congressman mentored by Thiel—now Vice President—cast the final decisive vote. Meanwhile, Musk could do nothing but express anxiety on X about America’s—and his own—future.
Lose in business, and everything amounts to zero.
Power only answers to its source. Trump owes Musk no real loyalty. Without Musk, there’s always another “cow-ske” waiting at Mar-a-Lago eager to join the administration. But if Musk loses his cash flow, then it’s game over—back to South Africa he goes.
Musk dreams of stars and oceans, but humanity only craves comfort—comfort so absolute, they’d die for it.
Musk witnessed the fall of white-ruled South Africa in his youth. In his later years, he may see the weakening of white-dominated America, and ultimately, the stagnation of humankind—trapped forever on this planet.
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