Elon Musk and Trump’s Golden Dome contractors: The surprising connection they all share

President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he has selected a design for a comprehensive missile defense system called “Golden Dome.” He named US Space Force Gen Michael Guetlein to be the lead program manager of the project Trump says will cost $175 billion and be finished by the end of his term in office.

The “state-of-the-art” missile defense shield, inspired by Israel’s land-based Iron Dome, will incorporate hundreds of satellites to monitor and track missile launches around the globe as well as offensive attack satellites to shoot down missiles aimed at the United States shortly after launch. While much could change, the current frontrunners to build the ‘custody layer’ according to Reuters are Elon Musk’s SpaceX along with Alex Karp’s software company Palantir and Palmer Luckey’s Anduril, a maker of drones.

Golden Dome frontrunners all major Trump donors

The billionaire founders of all three companies have been major political supporters of Trump. Musk alone donated at least $250 million towards helping the president retake to the White House. As well, he used his outsized megaphone on X, the social media platform he bought, to promote the Republican Party to his millions of followers.

The three stand to make a hefty fortune if their companies are chosen to build the Golden Dome. While Trump says that the project will cost $175 billion, the independent Congressional Budget Office has forecast that just the space-based interceptors could cost almost three times that amount.

According to the CBO’s calculations, the non-partisan federal agency estimates deploying and operating the space-based interceptors over the next twenty years could cost between $161 billion and $524 billion.

Trump has already allocated $25 billion in the massive budget bill congressional Republicans are aiming to pass in the coming weeks.

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.