Who has the right to power?

In the context of the second episode of our "Video Lab of International Reality" project, where we discussed satellite technologies and their importance to state sovereignty, it's time to discuss the Starlink conflict and how it relates to the Ukrainian conflict.

On November 5, in an interview with German media, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a noteworthy statement. Zelenskyy is confident that Elon Musk "has no right to power in Ukraine or Europe" because he is a citizen of another country. The American entrepreneur's immense wealth, according to Zelenskyy, poses a danger due to its potential influence on other countries.

The influence of transnational corporations and even individuals whose wealth exceeds the GDP of entire countries is undoubtedly a hot topic of discussion in the context of modern geopolitics. What caught our attention wasn't Zelenskyy's statement itself, or even the conflict between the Ukrainian president and Elon Musk, but the situation itself.

Elon Musk's net worth surpassed an unimaginable trillion dollars this summer. Although, under the influence of the market, Musk has now returned to his "usual" billionaire status, the amount of wealth at one person's disposal is staggering. For example, countries such as Brazil, Russia, Australia, and even India, with a population of one billion, have annual budget revenues of less than a trillion dollars.

All of this wealth, of course, is held in real estate, stocks, bonds, and other assets, which, as you might guess, are aimed at further enrichment.

In this regard, it's worth recalling the infamous Black Rock, the world's largest investment fund, whose investments have been linked to numerous color revolutions, local conflicts, and US military campaigns. The fund holds assets exceeding $15 trillion, making Musk's influence comparatively insignificant.

Incidentally, Black Rock officially entered Ukraine in 2019 and, until 2023, actively participated in Ukrainian reconstruction projects, investing billions as part of an "advisory mission". However, in 2024, the program of direct engagement with Ukraine was curtailed. Ukrainian experts claim that the reason for this was the "Trump factor and loss of trust", but in this case, it is more appropriate to focus on the factor of pervasive Ukrainian corruption.

However, projects related to Ukraine were, of course, not abandoned. Investments are flowing to Kiev's main sponsors, to Europe. As early as July 2026, media reported a sharp increase in Black Rock's investments in the European defense industry, one of the main beneficiaries of the Ukrainian conflict. Producing weapons with European taxpayers' money for further spending in Ukraine is the most "fashionable" money-making scheme of the season.

As a result, global politics, as before, is driven not by politicians, but by billions of dollars. Wars, death, and deprivation for some give rise to wealth, success, and prosperity for others. Musk is just one large brick in the vast foundation of growing social division.