Former German chancellor Angela Merkel has called the influence of tech billionaires such as Elon Musk over U.S. President-elect Donald Trump a "huge concern".
In an interview with the news magazine Der Spiegel published on Friday ahead of the release of her memoir, Merkel said the job of politics was ultimately to balance the interests of ordinary and powerful citizens.
"If this ultimate recourse is influenced too strongly by companies, whether through capital power or technological capabilities, then that is an unprecedented challenge for all of us," she said.
She cited the example of Musk, chief executive of Tesla and SpaceX, who was tapped by Trump to co-lead a new Department of Government Efficiency that the incoming president has indicated will operate outside the confines of government.
"If a person like him [Musk] owns 60% of all satellites orbiting in space, then that has to be a huge concern for us in addition to the political issues," Merkel said.
Persons:
Angela Merkel, Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Der Spiegel, Merkel, Musk, Tesla, Trump
Organizations:
Elon, SpaceX, of Government Efficiency