Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, has taken a jab at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), calling it a “criminal organization” on Twitter.
The tweet, which sparked controversy and widespread attention, was a response to a tweet by USAID`s official account, which criticized a plan by SpaceX to narrow its field of potential rocket suppliers for a lunar lander contract.
Musk’s remark was in response to the agency’s criticism of his company’s approach to bidding on the NASA contract, which aims to develop a lunar lander to return humans to the moon. NASA has stated that it plans to award a single contract for the project, with SpaceX, Blue Origin, and other companies vying for the opportunity.
Musk stated that “SpaceX is not going to play games with USAID, which is a criminal organization” and that “we will not tolerate” any “western politicians’ or governments’ attempts to bully or threaten us.”
The tweet was met with swift backlash, with many calling for Musk to retract his statement and clarify what he meant by his comment. Some critics accused him of making a “baseless and unprofessional” remark, while others defended him, arguing that he was simply standing up for his company and the free market.
USAID, for its part, refused to comment on the matter, stating that it would not “engage in personal attacks or arguments” on social media. The agency’s primary focus is on its work in humanitarian aid, disaster response, and development assistance.
