Bezos Throws Shade At Musk As Trump Takes The Reins

Jeff Bezos, the billionaire founder of Amazon and Blue Origin, has expressed his optimism about the incoming Trump administration's space agenda, while also downplaying concerns about the potential influence of Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, on the new president.

In an interview with Reuters on Sunday, Bezos stated that he does not think Musk will use his close ties with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to gain an unfair advantage in the space industry.

Bezos' comments come as the space industry is poised to play a significant role in the Trump administration's plans for the country's space program. The president-elect has promised to make space exploration a priority, and has even suggested that the United States could return to the moon and establish a permanent presence on the lunar surface.

Musk, who has been a vocal supporter of Trump's space agenda, has also been in talks with the president-elect about potential collaborations between SpaceX and the government. However, Bezos does not seem to be concerned about the potential for Musk to exert undue influence over the Trump administration's space policy.

Instead, Bezos is focusing on his own company's efforts to develop a new rocket capable of carrying humans to space. Blue Origin has been working on a suborbital vehicle called New Shepard, which is designed to take tourists to the edge of space. The company is also developing a more powerful orbital rocket called New Glenn, which is expected to be capable of carrying satellites and other payloads to orbit.

Bezos' optimism about the Trump administration's space agenda is likely driven by the president-elect's promise to increase funding for NASA and to support private space companies like Blue Origin and SpaceX. The Trump administration has also indicated that it will be taking a more business-friendly approach to space policy, which could benefit companies like Blue Origin and SpaceX.

Despite the potential for increased funding and support, there are still many challenges facing the space industry as it looks to the future. One of the biggest hurdles will be figuring out how to make space travel and exploration more affordable and sustainable. This will require significant advances in technology, as well as new approaches to funding and collaborating on space projects.

Bezos and Musk are both pioneers in the private space industry, and their companies are at the forefront of efforts to develop new technologies and capabilities for space exploration. While there may be some competition between the two companies, they share a common goal of making space travel and exploration more accessible and affordable.

As the Trump administration takes office, it will be interesting to see how the president-elect's space agenda takes shape, and how companies like Blue Origin and SpaceX will be involved. With Bezos and Musk at the helm, the private space industry is likely to continue to play a major role in shaping the future of space exploration.