Embedded Files
NEXT MEETING: 07/13/26, 7 PM, OZARK-DALE LIBRARY
Focus on Elon Musk and the Other Billionaires Influencing Our Country and Our Government
‘Reeks of Corruption’: Top DOJ Officials Reportedly Cleared Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Before Staff Lawyers, Who Were ‘Leaning’ Toward Antitrust Lawsuit, Could Object - 6/16
Comment: "Senior officials at the Justice Department moved to close out the antitrust investigation into Paramount’s $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery before the team of lawyers investigating the matter could issue a recommendation, the Wall Street Journal reported."
"The career lawyers in the DOJ’s Antitrust Division had been 'leaning' toward advising that the department should file a lawsuit seeking to block the merger — and were surprised when DOJ leadership gave the deal the green light, per the Journal article."
" 'The American people need to know if this merger was approved as a political favor. This reeks of corruption,' Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who has been a strong critic of the Paramount-WBD deal, wrote in a post on Bluesky, citing the WSJ story."
"In March, the acting head of the Justice Department’s antitrust division, Omeed Assefi, said the Paramount-WBD deal would 'absolutely not' be on a fast-track for approval due to political reasons, in the context of the Ellison family’s friendly ties to Trump."
Comment: "While David Ellison isn’t an all-out Trump booster, he and his father — tech billionaire Larry Ellison — are friendly with Trump. In April, David Ellison and Paramount hosted a soiree in D.C. 'honoring' Trump, with the event also ostensibly meant to celebrate the First Amendment."
Forbes Declares Elon Musk As The World’s First Trillionaire - 6/14
Comment: "On Friday, Forbes declared Elon Musk as the world’s first trillionaire, as SpaceX’s stock began trading on the Nasdaq at $150 per share, giving the company a nearly $2 trillion market cap. Forbes estimates that the IPO has boosted Musk’s fortune to $1.1 trillion, as of Friday morning. His net worth rose by $188 billion to an estimated $982 billion on Thursday evening, when SpaceX priced the IPO at $135 per share."
Comment: Trillionaire on paper, based on the IPO value of his SpaceX stock.
Treasury watchdog finds no evidence backing Musk’s payment fraud claims - 6/12
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/10/treasury-watchdog-musk-payment-fraud-00957212
Comment: "The Treasury Department’s internal watchdog concluded a review of the federal government’s $6 trillion payment system without finding evidence of fraud, determining that the government has 'generally adequate' controls in place but that several weaknesses need to be addressed."
"The findings of the 10-month review, posted publicly on Wednesday, undercut Elon Musk’s allegations last year that his DOGE team had found significant irregularities in the government’s payment systems and that Treasury employees had knowingly approved payments to fraudulent organizations and terrorist groups."
"Treasury 'generally has adequate access and payment-related controls in place, and there were no specific allegations of improper or fraudulent payments,' said the report by the agency’s acting inspector general, Loren J. Sciurba."
" 'We did not find evidence of violations of administrative or criminal law that would constitute fraud,' the report said."
"Still, the inspector general identified several weaknesses in Treasury’s oversight of its payment systems."
"Among the problems cited in the report was Treasury’s oversight of access to its sensitive payment systems. The inspector general noted a previously reported lapse at the beginning of the Trump administration in which a DOGE employee was erroneously granted the power to change payment-system data and later sent a spreadsheet containing sensitive personal information to someone outside the agency."
Comment: Trump and his surrogates, like Musk, are quick to claim widespread fraud, but when a thorough and unbiased investigation is conducted, many of these claims are shown to be false or exaggerated. This includes allegations of voter fraud and rigged elections.
Comment: Ironically, one of Treasury's identified problems was its oversight of sensitive payment systems, violated by one of Musk's own DOGE employees.
Justice Dept. approves Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery - 6/12
https://www.npr.org/2026/06/12/nx-s1-5856567/paramount-acquisition-warner-bros-discovery-merger
Comment: "The Justice Department on Friday approved Paramount's proposed $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery."
"After concluding its antitrust investigation into the pending merger, the department said in a statement that it found that the deal posed no threat to competition or consumers of film, broadcast television or streaming."
"The decision clears the way for a merger of two rival Hollywood studio titans: Paramount, the owner of CBS, including CBS News, will swallow the much larger Warner, which includes HBO and CNN. "
Comment: "The consolidation will put media mogul David Ellison — son of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison — at the helm of Warner Bros. studio as well as its cable and streaming properties, including CNN and HBO. The Ellison family took over Paramount and CBS last summer."
Comment: "The elder Ellison is also a financial backer and adviser to President Trump on artificial intelligence. Critics of recent changes at CBS under the Ellisons' control are concerned that, as they say has happened with CBS News, the acquisition would make CNN more friendly to Trump."
Video: Satellite internet: Who controls the sky? | DW News - June 05, 2026
https://youtu.be/JPw9s13XAeg?si=5clEYKYs80_8Qb18
Comment: A German perspective on Elon Musk's Starlink dominance of satellite internet connectivity.
Video: Scott Pelley: Tapper flags key issues behind his '60 Minutes' firing - June 04, 2026
https://youtu.be/JWl9Ljix-4w?si=LqVi78o38UtAy5Ri
Comment: Is this the result of new CBS ownership by the billionaire Ellisons?
Related Story: Scott Pelley says Bari Weiss wanted 60 Minutes to say Renee Good was ‘driving toward officer’ - 6/08
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/jun/07/scott-pelley-bari-weiss-renee-good-report
Comment: "Fired journalist accuses CBS News chief of interfering with report because it did not echo Trump’s view of the shooting"
Video: The Top 10 Richest People In The World | June 2026 - June 02, 2026
https://youtu.be/QMhgCqxxl6Q?si=KQLCTjyXLH33oe-n
Ranked: Where the Ultra-Rich Are Growing Fastest - 6/01
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-where-the-ultra-rich-are-growing-fastest/
Comment: They may be ultra-rich but most of these folks aren't billionaires.
Dell stock surges on deal with Pentagon, making CEO $31B richer overnight
Comment: "Dell stock surged over 30% on Friday, boosting founder and CEO Michael Dell’s net worth by some $34 billion."
"The exec’s net worth shot up to $244.8 billion, according to Forbes, lodging him in slot No. 6 on its billionaires list — just below Oracle CEO Larry Ellison and above Meta big Mark Zuckerberg."
"Shares in Dell went on a tear after the company reported first quarter growth in artificial-intelligence hardware and details emerged about its new $9.7 billion contract with the Department of War."
Comment: "The deal came after Trump’s investment accounts bought between $1 million and $5 million of Dell stock in February, the Wall Street Journal noted."
"Toward the end of last year, Michael Dell and his wife Susan pledged $6.25 billion toward the president’s 'Trump accounts' initiative. The Dells’ investment – which comes to about $250 per account – is meant to help kids pay for an education, start a business or afford a down payment on a house after they turn 18."
Peter Thiel's move to Argentina reflects a growing trend among billionaires seeking a 'plan B' abroad - 5/29
https://www.businessinsider.com/peter-thiel-argentina-billionaire-moving-abroad-2026-5
Rich Americans Are Collecting Citizenships As ‘Plan B’ In Uncertain Times - 5/25
Comment: "Uber-rich Americans are collecting multiple residencies and citizenships for the same reason they diversify their stock portfolios—to hedge against risk in an unpredictable world, investment migration experts tell Forbes."
Comment: "More than six in 10 Americans (61%) earning over $200,000 annually are considering moving to another country within five years, according to a study to be released next month from Apex Capital Partners, an advisory firm that helps people secure foreign residency and citizenship."
" 'The rate of growth of interest from Americans is skyrocketing,' Nuri Katz, president of Apex Capital Partners told Forbes, noting the survey asked respondents if they were left- or right-leaning 'and it was 50-50.' ”
Comment: "Henley & Partners reported inquiries from U.S. nationals seeking alternative residence or citizenship increased 183% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2025, after President Trump was elected to a second term."
Comment: "For the first time since the Great Depression, more people left the U.S. than moved there in 2025, The Wall Street Journal reported. While the Trump administration hails negative net migration as a success story of deportations and restrictive visas, America’s own citizens are also leaving in record numbers."
Video: Tech CEOs are shielding their kids from the same technology they say is safe for yours - May 18, 2026
https://youtu.be/v8I_OlVmqUA?si=5OXdyiNEaCwPqLls
U.S., EU lawmakers pledge European scrutiny of Paramount's WBD deal - 5/14
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/14/paramount-wbd-congress-eu-david-ellison.html
Comment: "A group of U.S. and European lawmakers told Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison that the company’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery will be subject to careful scrutiny by European regulators and that he should not consider shareholder approval of the deal to be the final word."
"The combination would bring together powerhouse film studios in Paramount and Warner Bros. as well as two popular streaming services, a deep library of franchise content and a portfolio of TV networks that includes CBS, TNT and CNN."
Comment: That's a lot of media control in one place.
A judge told Musk he wasn’t excused from trial. He went to China with Trump anyway. - 5/13
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/elon-musk/musk-flies-china-trump-ongoing-openai-trial-rcna344981
Comment: "A federal judge placed Elon Musk on 'recall status,' meaning he is supposed to be available to return to the witness stand on short notice."
The gap between America’s wealthiest and everyday citizens is the biggest it has been in generations - 5/12
Comment: "The U.S. economy is increasingly bifurcating, with high gas prices and employment issues hitting lower-income households, while the richest Americans enjoy tax cuts and a soaring stock market:
Comment: "U.S. wealth inequality is the highest it has been in nearly four decades, according to federal data, as the economy under the Trump administration appears to increasingly favor the rich."
"As of late 2025, the top 1 percent of households held 31.7 percent of wealth, the highest share on record since the Federal Reserve began tracking the figure in 1989."
Epstein-linked billionaire accused of rape privately reached out to federal judge to defend his ‘good name’ - 5/06
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/may/06/jeffrey-epstein-leon-black
Comment: "Lawyers for Leon Black, the billionaire investor who has been accused in a civil lawsuit of raping a teenage girl inside Jeffrey Epstein's New York townhouse in 2002, reached out to a powerful federal judge in 2024 to raise doubts about the alleged victim’s claims, a Guardian investigation has found."
CNN legend Christiane Amanpour expresses concern about Ellison takeover - 5/06
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/may/06/cnn-christiane-amanpour-david-ellison-paramount
Comment: Billionaires taking over media and news organizations and starting to control what we see and hear.
Real estate titan compares 'tax the rich' slogan to racial slurs - 5/05
Comment: "Real estate magnate Steve Roth is standing strong with fellow billionaire Ken Griffin in his spat with Mayor Zohran Mamdani."
Comment: "Instead of being singled out and scorned in viral videos, Roth, CEO of Vornado Realty Trust, thinks the ultra-rich should be 'praised and thanked' and said calls to tax them more are akin to racial slurs."
Comment: If this billionaire thinks that calls to tax the rich "are akin to racial slurs," one might guess that he hasn't encountered many racial slurs in his life. Most folks wouldn't equate the two as to their severity. Most common folks wouldn't have a lot of sympathy for his oversensitivity, but maybe the extremely wealthy think they're entitled to feel this way.
The Billionaire Donors Behind Trump’s Midterm Superweapon - 5/04
Comment: "The super PAC that fueled 2024 has re-upped for 2026, even with Trump off the ballot—raising new questions about how the cash will be used."
Elon Musk’s Tesla Compensation Totals $158 Billion for 2025 - 5/01
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/elon-musk-tesla-compensation-totals-230840938.html
Comment: "Tesla Inc. tallied up Elon Musk’s annual compensation for the first time since shareholders approved his moonshot pay package, and it’s a doozy: $158 billion."
Comment: "The new disclosure on Musk’s head-turning pay came with some major caveats. There may be 'significant disconnect' between what the company reports as Musk’s total compensation in a given year 'and the value actually realized,' Tesla said in the filing."
"There are several reasons the disclosed figures are uncoupled from reality. For one, the unprecedented pay package awarded last year consisted entirely of equity award grants. It was structured so that the CEO will only cash in if Tesla’s stock soars and the company achieves various operational milestones."
'Everyone’s a Line On a Spreadsheet:' Inside Oracle’s Mass Layoffs and the Workers Fighting Back
https://time.com/article/2026/04/30/oracle-layoffs-ai-tech-jobs/
Comment: "Jill is one of up to 30,000 workers who were laid off by Oracle in the last month as the company pivots toward AI, both internally and in the booming business of building AI data centers. Oracle chairman and CTO Larry Ellison believes that AI’s current infrastructure builders will be huge victors in tomorrow’s economy, so Oracle is raising and borrowing billions of dollars to spend on data center projects. The company will be cash flow negative until at least 2030, according to data compiled by Bloomberg."
Comment: Larry Ellison is a billionaire and one of the wealthiest people in the world.
Video: Reranking The World’s Billionaires By Wealth – And Altruism - April 27, 2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDEsMaQyAb8
Supporters of billionaire tax submit signatures to place measure on California's ballot - 4/27
Comment: "The proposal, which has divided Democrats in the state, would implement a one-time tax on wealthy Californians if it qualifies for the ballot and is approved by voters in the fall."
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Billionaire NASA chief who’s been to space twice says critics of billionaire space travel are ‘outright wrong’
U.S. marshals waived training rules for Musk's armed DOGE security, emails show - 4/6
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/elon-musk/elon-musk-trump-government-doge-security-rcna266088
Comment: "The U.S. Marshals Service allowed some members of Musk’s security team to sidestep experience and training requirements, according to emails."
Comment: "Members of Elon Musk’s private security team were deputized as federal agents last year even though some of the billionaire’s guards lacked the required training and law enforcement experience, according to newly released government emails."
Video: Warren Buffett say he no longer speaks to Bill Gates following Epstein ties - March 31, 2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rvlvWGpAQQ
Meta and Google lost a major social media addiction lawsuit. Their troubles are far from over. - 3/30
Video: Parents v. The Platforms: the families who fought big tech and won - March 28, 2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMpaV5LANv8
White House turns down Elon Musk's offer to pay TSA workers during DHS shutdown - 3/26
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/white-house-elon-musks-offer-pay-tsa-workers-dhs-shutdown/
Video: Jury finds Meta and YouTube liable in landmark youth addiction case - March 25, 2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Gsv_YHpNx4
Jury finds Musk misled investors during Twitter takeover, absolves him of some fraud claims - 3/20
Video: Jeff Bezos Is Raising $100 Billion For New AI Company–Here's What To Know - March 20, 2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPvrwBGZM5o
Video: The $100 Billion Club: These 20 People Have 12-Figure Fortunes - March 18, 2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyIfg8LI0gs
‘100% completely unsustainable as a society.’ Billionaire advisor calls out widening inequality that leaves America’s poorest 80% ‘falling behind’
https://fortune.com/2026/03/17/billionaires-warn-about-us-wealth-inequality-economic-risks/
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Video: New Mexico police reopen Epstein case, search ranch after files released. - March 10, 2026.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFUSUYW5-gA
Comment: "Authorities are searching a ranch in New Mexico that belonged [to] the convicted sex offender as part of an investigation into sex abuse allegations at the ranch."
Comment: It is assumed that most billionaires are not child sexual predators, but Epstein was. Some say he trafficked women to other wealthy and powerful individuals.
CBS justice correspondent leaving network: ‘I look forward to some independence’
https://thehill.com/homenews/media/5775227-cbs-news-journalist-departure/
Comment: "Journalist Scott MacFarlane is leaving CBS News, the latest in a string of high-profile departures at the broadcaster since its parent company Paramount Skydance was bought last year by Larry and David Ellison."
"MacFarlane, who made a name for himself covering the Justice Department and issues relating to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Trump, announced in a note to colleagues his work 'will soon no longer appear on CBS News'.”
"MacFarlane gave few details about the next stop in his career, writing only, 'I look forward to some independence and finding new spaces to share my work in line with my personal goals.' ”
"MacFarlane’s departure comes as part of a slew of top editors and correspondents who have left the network since the Paramount-Skydance merger last summer."
"David Ellison soon after the merger closed tapped controversial journalist Bari Weiss to serve as CBS News’s editor in chief. She has since implemented sweeping changes at the network and received criticism internally for her handling of stories relating to the Trump administration."
"As part of the family’s bid to acquire Paramount, Ellison wrote to the Federal Communications Commission he was focused on retooling CBS to serve a more 'diverse' set of political views and represent a wider audience, an effort many Democrats and media critics have taken as a rightward shift."
Comment: This is the result of billionaire Larry Ellison and his family taking control of Paramount and shifting focus of CBS News more to the right politically.
Paramount won't say whether Middle East money is funding its WBD deal
https://www.businessinsider.com/paramount-wbd-gulf-saudi-financing-abu-dhabi-qatar-ellisons-2026-3
Comment:"
"In December, Paramount's Larry and David Ellison said they had partners to help them buy WBD: Three Gulf states.
At the time, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar were going to chip in a collective $24 billion into the deal.
Are those countries part of the new deal Paramount struck with WBD last week? We don't know yet."
"A few months ago, [billionaires] Larry and David Ellison's Paramount said it had lined up big backers for its bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery: three Middle Eastern countries, which would contribute a total of $24 billion to help buy the media conglomerate."
"Now, Paramount has won the rights to WBD, after Netflix walked away. Are those three Gulf states going to help finance Paramount's new deal?"
"Paramount won't say."
Comment: "The notion of other countries owning a piece of a powerful American-run media giant, which has multiple news operations, streamers, and movie studios, seems like the kind of thing you might hear politicians, regulators, and even normal Americans talking about. Particularly given the participation of Saudi Arabia, whose government killed a Washington Post journalist in 2018, per US intelligence."
"It may also explain why Paramount has never emphasized the idea of foreign investment in any of its press releases or public presentations about the deal. Or why Paramount once shot down a story saying it was rounding up Gulf investment."
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Video: Watch "The Problem With Billionaires" on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jytzozJ1wm0
Jeff Bezos-owned Washington Post conducts widespread layoffs, gutting a third of its staff
https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/04/media/washington-post-layoffs
Comment: "The Washington Post laid off about one in three employees across the company Wednesday morning, dealing another big blow to a newsroom that has reached a breaking point."
"Post owner Jeff Bezos had no immediate comment about the cutbacks."
"Bezos has been pushing the Post’s management team to return the publication to profitability, but many journalists at the paper have criticized his approach and questioned his motives."
" 'Bezos is not trying to save The Washington Post. He’s trying to survive Donald Trump,' former Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler said in a column earlier this week."
"Bezos and the company he founded, Amazon, have complex relationships with the Trump administration. Earlier this week Bezos hosted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Bezos-owned Blue Origin rocket company."
Video: Former Washington Post chief: Fear of Trump pushed Bezos to gut the newspaper - February 4, 2026
Meta drops $65 million into super PACs to boost tech-friendly state candidates
Comment: "Meta has loaded $65 million into two super PACs to help elect state candidates it views as supportive of the AI and tech industry in California."
Comment: "The super PACs reflect Meta’s deepening political ambitions for its home state, as the social media giant reinvents itself around AI, and other Silicon Valley heavyweights similarly eye a bigger say in California’s electoral outcomes."
"Federal lobbying budgets for Big Tech hit record hiighs this year. But with federal AI regulation stalled in Washington, industry leaders are turning their attention increasingly to statehouses. In California, as in Washington, Meta has led the charge, consecutively spending more than it ever has to sway legislators."
Comment: Zuckerberg and other tech billionaires?
Elon Musk pours millions more into helping Republicans keep Congress
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/31/elon-musk-2026-election-donations-00758992
Comment: If you think that Elon Musk is NOT looking out for your best interests, do you think that the GOP candidates that he supports (buys?) will be looking out for best interests either?
A list of powerful men named in the Epstein files, from Elon Musk to former Prince Andrew
Comment: Not all are billionaires, but many of those discussed are billionaires.
Comment: Disclaimer - listing in the files does not necessary indicate illegal or immoral actions.
Elon Musk had more extensive ties to Epstein than previously known, emails show
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jan/30/elon-musk-epstein-files-island-visits
Comment: "In November 2012, Epstein sent Musk an email asking 'how many people will you be for the heli to island'."
" 'Probably just Talulah and me. What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?' Musk replied, in an apparent reference to his former wife Talulah Riley."
"Musk followed up with an email on 25 December in response to another Epstein message that encouraged him to visit and offered use of his helicopter."
" 'Do you have any parties planned? I’ve been working to the edge of sanity this year and so, once my kids head home after Christmas, I really want to hit the party scene in St Barts or elsewhere and let loose. The invitation is much appreciated, but a peaceful island experience is the opposite of what I’m looking for,' Musk wrote."
" 'Understood , I will see you on st Barth, the ratio on my island might make Talilah uncomfortable,' Epstein responded."
" 'Ratio is not a problem for Talulah,' Musk said."
"On 2 January 2013, Musk sent Epstein an email suggesting that the visit wouldn’t take place saying: 'Logistics won’t work this time around.' ”
"Musk has been harshly critical of those linked to Epstein, but the newly released emails appear to contradict his own longstanding denial of any ties of his own. The Tesla CEO told Vanity Fair in 2019 that Epstein was 'obviously a creep' and claimed that Epstein 'tried repeatedly to get me to visit his island. I declined.' The emails between the two moguls come years after Epstein was convicted in 2008 of soliciting prostitution from a minor in Florida. Authorities later arrested Epstein in 2019 on federal sex-trafficking charges."
After rocky start, Bari Weiss plans cuts, adds commentators at CBS News
Comment: "A former conservative opinion writer and editor for the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, Weiss was hired last fall by Paramount's new controlling owner, David Ellison, to shake up CBS's news division as it came under renewed attack from the Trump administration."
Comment: "Ellison's takeover of Paramount was financed by his father, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison. The elder Ellison is a Trump adviser who encouraged his efforts to contest the 2020 race."
Comment: "While Weiss has been welcomed by some CBS journalists, including Chief Legal Correspondent Jan Crawford, others have taken issue with her style of leadership and the editorial choices that have followed her arrival."
"In addition, liberal critics outside the network have blasted her, alleging that she is doing the handiwork of the networks' owners, who are allies of President Trump and are seeking his blessing in their bid for Warner Bros. Discovery. Weiss has rejected that assertion, though she declined to comment for this story through a spokesperson."
Comment: "CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss said she will make the news division 'fit for purpose in the 21st Century' at an all-staff meeting Tuesday, in which she outlined her strategy."
"Weiss announced the hiring of 18 paid commentators — on subjects ranging from national security to health and wellness — as part of an effort to 'widen the aperture of the stories we tell and the voices we listen to.' They include HR McMaster, who served as national security advisor during the first Trump administration; Reihan Salam, the president of the conservative Manhattan Institute; and the historian Niall Ferguson."
"She also cited several new hires who are going to produce original reports from Kyiv, London and New York City with a social media-first approach. And she said she only wants top-flight performers committed to her approach to stick around."
"Weiss is expected to make significant cuts to the newsroom, though she did not address them in her remarks."
Comment: Less news and more propaganda?
Treasury cancels Booz Allen contracts over leaks about wealthy taxpayers
https://www.npr.org/2026/01/26/nx-s1-5689010/treasury-cancels-booz-allen-contracts-irs-leak
Comment: "The Treasury Department is canceling millions of dollars worth of contracts with the Booz Allen Hamilton consulting firm, after a contractor from the firm leaked confidential IRS information, showing how wealthy Americans manage to pay little or nothing in taxes."
"Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent canceled a total of 31 contracts with Booz Allen, totaling $21 million. The company's stock fell more than 8%."
Comment: "That information was the basis of explosive stories in the New York Times and ProPublica, showing how wealthy people like Donald Trump, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos manage to minimize their tax obligations."
"A Booz Allen contractor, Charles Edward Littlejohn, pleaded guilty in 2023 to leaking the confidential data to reporters. He was sentenced to five years in prison."
"Booz Allen said it was surprised by the Treasury Department's decision to cancel its contracts."
Comment: Do you believe that such a drastic action would have occurred, if the leaked information had dealt with confidential IRS information from average Americans, rather than from Trump and other very wealthy billionaires?
Comment: For reasons of transparency, other presidents have always publicly disclosed their tax returns for scrutiny by the media and citizens. Because there is no legal requirement for disclosure, Trump has never publicly disclosed his tax returns.
Wealth inequality in America just hit its widest gap in 3 decades
https://www.aol.com/articles/wealth-inequality-america-just-hit-211720489.html
Comment: "Data from the Federal Reserve shows that the so-called K-shaped economy in America is alive and well, with low- and middle-income households falling further behind as the richest Americans pull away."
"The top 1% of households owned 31.7% of all U.S. wealth in the third quarter of 2025, the highest share on record since the Federal Reserve began tracking household wealth in 1989. That share has increased even as wealth growth for the rest of the population has stalled or slowed, the data shows."
"Collectively, the wealthiest 1% held about $55 trillion in assets in the third quarter of 2025 — roughly equal to the wealth held by the bottom 90% of Americans combined."
" 'Household wealth is highly concentrated and becoming steadily more concentrated,' Mark Zandi, chief economist at financial research firm Moody's Analytics, told CBS News."
"The latest snapshot of wealth inequality comes as billionaire fortunes continue to grow rapidly, both in the U.S. and abroad. An Oxfam International report released this week found that billionaire wealth in 2025 increased three times faster than the average annual rate over the previous five years."
How a billionaire with interests in Greenland encouraged Trump to acquire the territory
Comment: "One day during his first term, Donald Trump summoned a top aide to discuss a new idea. 'Trump called me down to the Oval Office,' John Bolton, national security adviser in 2018, told the Guardian. 'He said a prominent businessman had just suggested the US buy Greenland.' ”
"It was an extraordinary proposal. And it originated from a longtime friend of the president who would go on to acquire business interests in the Danish territory."
"The businessman, Bolton learned, was Ronald Lauder. Heir to a makeup fortune – the global cosmetics brand Estée Lauder – he had known Trump, a fellow wealthy New Yorker, for more than 60 years."
"Bolton said he discussed the Greenland proposition with Lauder. After the billionaire’s intervention, a White House team began to explore ways to increase US sway in the vast Arctic territory controlled by Denmark."
"Trump’s renewed pursuit of Lauder’s idea during his second term is typical of how the president operates, Bolton said. 'Bits of information that he hears from friends, he takes them as truth and you can’t shake his opinion.' ”
"The proposal seems to have stirred Trump’s imperialist ambitions: eight years on, he is mulling not just buying Greenland but perhaps taking it by force."
"Like many of those around the president, Lauder’s policy suggestions appear to intersect with his business interests. As Trump has ratcheted up his threats to seize Greenland, Lauder has acquired commercial holdings there. Lauder is also part of the consortium whose desire to access Ukrainian minerals appears to have spurred Trump to demand a share of the war-torn country’s resources."
Comment: "Lauder’s apparent involvement in shaping US policy adds to mounting questions about conflicts of interest during Trump’s second term and the apparent self-enrichment of those close to the president. Trump’s two elder sons, Don Jr and Eric, have been on a global moneymaking campaign from Vietnam to Gibraltar."
Comment: Please read the linked article to discover discussions about Lauder's campaign contributions to Trump and discussions about his various investments that seem related to his foreign policy recommendations, especially about Greenland.
ICE officer who shot Renee Good gets $10K donation from Bill Ackman
Comment: "Billionaire Bill Ackman is one of more than 8,000 people who have donated to an unverified online fundraiser to support the federal immigration officer who fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis last week. "
"As of the evening of Jan. 13, a GoFundMe campaign created by Clyde Emmons had raised more than $660,000 including a $10,000 donation from the hedge fund billionaire. Another $10,000 anonymous donation also topped the list. Created Jan. 9, the fundraiser aims to aid the potential legal defense of Jonathan Ross, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement removal officer based in Minnesota."
"In a statement posted Jan. 13 on X, Ackman said over the years he has invested 'substantial funds providing for the legal defense of individuals that I believe are innocent' and decided to support Ross because he knew 'he would need significant funds to cover his defense costs.' "
"The billionaire said he attempted to donate to Good's GoFundMe page but that contributions had already met the campaign's $1.5 million goal."
‘Unthinkable behavior’: Von der Leyen slams Musk’s AI for undressing photos of women
Comment: "European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen blasted Elon Musk’s platform X over the spread of sexually explicit deepfakes created using its AI chatbot Grok."
" 'I am appalled that a tech platform is enabling users to digitally undress women and children online. This is unthinkable behavior. And the harm caused by these deepfakes is very real,' von der Leyen said in an interview with multiple European media outlets, including Reuters and Corriere della Sera."
" 'We will not be outsourcing child protection and consent to Silicon Valley. If they don't act, we will,' she warned."
"Since the beginning of January, thousands of women and teenagers, including public figures, have reported that their photos published on social media have been 'undressed' and put in bikinis by Grok at the request of users."
"The deepfake tool has prompted investigations from regulators across Europe, including in Brussels, Dublin, Paris and London."
Tesla loses title as world’s biggest electric vehicle maker as sales fall for second year in a row
Comment: "Tesla lost its crown as the world’s bestselling electric vehicle maker on Friday as a customer revolt over Elon Musk's right-wing politics, expiring U.S. tax breaks for buyers and stiff overseas competition pushed sales down for a second year in a row."
Elon Musk indicates he’s ‘going all in’ on financing the GOP ahead of the midterms: ‘America is toast if the radical left wins’
Comment: Musk plans to buy the midterm elections, but citizens can stop him by voting against the candidates and positions that he touts. Do you think this billionaire is looking out for your interests?
I hope billionaires get richer in 2026. They deserve it. | Opinion
Comment: A sarcastic view of the world's billionaire class and the billionaire lifestyle.
Billionaires added record $2.2tn in wealth in 2025
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2025/dec/31/billionaires-added-record-wealth-2025
Comment: "The richest 500 individuals in the world added a record $2.2tn to their wealth in 2025, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, with just eight billionaires accounting for a quarter of the gains."
"The gains increased their collective net worth to $11.9tn, bolstered by billionaire Donald Trump’s 2024 election victory and booming markets in cryptocurrencies, equities and metals."
"Around a quarter of the gains were attributed to eight billionaires, including Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Oracle chair Larry Ellison and Alphabet Inc co-founder Larry Page, though 2024 saw more concentrated net worth gains with the same eight billionaires making up 43% of total net worth gains for the wealthiest 500 individuals in the world."
Video: Bernie Sanders: 'Billionaires Will Be Determining The Future Of Humanity' Through AI | N18G - December 26, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RnLC5vDgnw
Video: Billionaire Miriam Adelson Offered Donald Trump ‘Another $250 Million’ To Run For Third Term - December 18, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9upX17txR4
Video: Why Jared Kushner’s Plan to Build Trump Hotel Failed in Serbia | WSJ News - December 16, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlJzti_Ca2s
The Untold Story of How Jeffrey Epstein Got Rich - The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/16/magazine/jeffrey-epstein-money-scams-investigation.html
Jared Kushner's firm backs out of Paramount's Warner Bros. bid
https://www.axios.com/2025/12/16/kushner-warner-bros-paramount
Donald Trump and Jared Kushner’s Cynical Plot to Turn CNN Full MAGA Exposed
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/donald-trump-jared-kushner-cynical-071038862.html
Comment: "President Donald Trump wants to see changes at his least favorite news network, and a Hollywood megadeal could make those wishes come true, according to a new report."
"Trump, 79, has told people in his circle that he wants to see new ownership and changes to programming at CNN, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday."
"David Ellison, the son of billionaire Trump ally and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, told administration officials that he would make big changes to CNN if Paramount’s hostile bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery succeeds, according to the Journal."
"Paramount launched a $108 billion hostile takeover bid—backed by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner—after it lost out to Netflix in a bidding war for Warner, which owns Hollywood studios, CNN, HBO, HGTV, and a vast movie and TV catalog."
"After news broke that Netflix’s mammoth bid to take over Warner would be accepted, Larry Ellison, 81, called his friend Trump to warn that the transaction would hurt competition, insiders told the Journal."
"Trump appeared to echo those concerns at the Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday night. Asked about the potential Netflix merger, he said it would create a 'big market share' and that—he warned ominously—'could be a problem.' "
"He did not disclose that his son-in-law had a financial stake in his friend Larry Ellison’s rival bid."
Kushner role in bid for Warner Bros raises ethical questions, experts say
Jared Kushner Outed as Key Player in Multibillion Takeover Battle
https://www.thedailybeast.com/jared-kushner-is-quietly-steering-a-massive-media-takeover/
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi want to put billions into Paramount/WBD. Why?
Comment: Is the answer media influence and influence with Trump through son-in-law Jared Kushner?
Jared Kushner is part of Paramount's hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery
https://www.axios.com/2025/12/08/jared-kushner-paramount-warner-bros-netflix
Opinion: Trump’s handouts put billionaires first and Americans last
Comment: "One year into the second Trump presidency, it’s pretty clear that his regime’s operating principle is not really 'America First' but 'Trump First.' "
"Or maybe more accurately, 'What’s in it for Trump and the wealthy elites who benefit from his cronyism and corrupt rule?' "
"It’s the rich and powerful taking care of the rich and powerful. Your average American? Not so much."
Comment: "Americans are wising up and rejecting Trump’s greed and corruption. Signs suggest that what moves voters in next year’s elections could be the contrast between the self-enrichment of Trump and his billionaire cronies and his 'let them eat cake' attitude toward the people he and his party are abandoning."
Comment: Please read the entire opinion piece for the numerous evidence backing up the opinions expressed.
CNBC: Elon Musk calls for abolition of European Union after X fined $140 million
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/08/elon-musk-eu-should-be-abolished-after-x-fined-140-million.html
Comment: This would be laughable except that Marco Rubio, our Secretary of State, is backing Musk.
A Year Later, Donors to Trump’s Transition Come to Light
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/us/politics/trump-transition-donors.html
Comment: "A 46-person list includes billionaires and people he went on to appoint to positions of power."
The latest Epstein emails reveal the powerful people who sought his counsel
https://www.npr.org/2025/11/20/nx-s1-5613427/epstein-files-chomsky-bannon-summers-democrats
Comment: These folks may not be billionaires, but they can be classified as "the elite."
Emails reveal Epstein’s network of the rich and powerful despite sex offender status
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor told Epstein, ‘I can’t take any more of this,’ newly released emails show | CNN
https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/13/uk/andrew-mountbatten-windsor-epstein-files-intl
Video: Billionaires React To Mamdani’s Win: ‘You Have A Big Responsibility’ - November 5, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpzTe3DrbE0
Video: Top 10 Richest People In The World As Of November 2025 - November 5, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8F0Txau2LA
Top 10 US billionaires’ collective wealth grew by $698bn in past year – report
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/03/wealth-billionaires-increase-trump
Trump reverses course to renominate billionaire Musk ally to lead Nasa
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/nov/04/trump-jared-isaacman-nasa
Trump nominates Isaacman to run NASA — again
Comment: "President Donald Trump has picked Jared Isaacman to run NASA, handing the former nominee a remarkable second chance to lead the agency."
Comment: "The billionaire astronaut has already been tapped once to lead the space agency, but Trump pulled his nomination in May, just before the Senate was slated to vote on his confirmation, over concerns about his close ties to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and previous donations to Democrats."
"Isaacman has since sought to get back into the president’s good graces. He attended a White House event with major GOP donors in October, according to Axios, and has the backing of several lawmakers, including Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), and high-profile MAGA influencer Laura Loomer."
Comment: "But Isaacman’s comeback push has faced resistance from Sean Duffy, who is serving as the acting head of the agency and the head of the Transportation Department. The effort has caused a high-stakes tussle over the role."
"The CEO of the payment processing company Shift4, Isaacman is a close business partner of Musk, who has a particular disdain for Duffy."
"But Isaacman faces an uphill battle to gather enough votes for his confirmation. Some Republicans have voiced concern about his past support for Democrats. And Isaacman has criticized Artemis, NASA’s program to land humans on the moon, arguing that the current setup is too expensive and built around a non-reusable rocket."
"Isaacman, if confirmed, would lead NASA at an uncertain time for the agency, which is grappling with steep budget cuts and fallout from the exodus of thousands of senior employees after cuts to the federal workforce."
"Isaacman also would need to try to execute Trump’s ambitious goal to land humans on the moon before the end of his term — and address major delays plaguing the effort."
Comment: Given Isaacman's "close ties to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk," do you think that his criticism of Artemis' "non-reusable rocket" is because the NASA developed SLS rocket is built by Boeing, and is planned instead of Musk's still unproven Falcon Heavy rocket?
Isaacman and Duffy are playing a ‘Game of Thrones’ for control of NASA
https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/5581613-nasa-administrator-race-isaacman-duffy/
For News Articles links from before November 1st, 2025, please go to one of the following, depending on the article date:
https://sites.google.com/view/dem3oldnews/home/old3-elon-musk-other-billionaires
OR
https://sites.google.com/view/dem2oldnews/home/old2-elon-musk-other-billionaires
There you will find a continuation of the news links & comments from the period prior to November 1, 2025. The article history can be viewed as follows:
www.dalecodemocrats.com (latest)
sites.google.com/view/dem3oldnews/home/ (May 1, 2025 - October 31, 2025)
sites.google.com/view/dem2oldnews/home/ (Topic Initialization - April 30, 2025)
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