In Antwerp, what began as a technical industrial summit quickly turned sharp. French President Emmanuel Macron used the stage to target Elon Musk, calling him “oversubsidized” while arguing for larger European Union budgets.
The moment shifted the room from routine economics to a pointed political exchange. Speaking before a gathering of industrial leaders, Macron framed his remarks as a case for European competitiveness rather than diplomacy.
At the summit in Belgium, Macron advanced a “Buy European” strategy backed by joint EU borrowing. He argued that U.S. economic strength comes from blending private investment with large-scale federal funding, a model he believes Europe must replicate to keep pace with Washington and Beijing.
His broader message centered on the need for more collective spending power inside the bloc. To illustrate this, Macron turned to Starlink, saying “everybody is fascinated” by it while insisting that Musk had received billions in U.S. subsidies.
He went further, labeling Musk “an oversubsidized guy by the federal agency in the U.S.,” a remark meant to justify stronger state intervention in European technology, space, and defense sectors. The line drew immediate attention because it personalized what was supposed to be a policy discussion.
Musk responded within hours on X, pushing back with data rather than rhetoric. “If you add up all the government funding Tesla and SpaceX have ever received, it is only about 1% of the combined value of the companies,” he wrote.
He then argued that major U.S. and European aerospace firms have historically received public funding exceeding their total market value, suggesting a double standard in how subsidies are discussed.
His reply tapped into a wider debate among economists about the effectiveness of government support. Supporters of Musk note that SpaceX has driven down launch costs and expanded satellite access faster than many heavily subsidized legacy contractors. Tesla, meanwhile, has scaled electric vehicle production while relying on comparatively limited direct grants.
