Musk and Luckey Named to Lead Pentagon Future Warfare Study

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has named Elon Musk and defense-company founder Palmer Luckey among the leaders of Project Meridian, a 120-day Pentagon study of future warfare and technologies including AI and autonomous weapons. The appointments have renewed conflict-of-interest concerns because Musk’s companies, especially SpaceX, hold substantial government contracts and could be affected by defense priorities shaped by the study; critics have questioned how commercial interests will be kept separate from public decision-making. Musk’s role has also drawn investor attention: reports say SpaceX-linked assets rose after the announcement, while Tesla shares gained but remain below a key technical threshold. Some analysts see potential upside for SpaceX-related investments if the move leads to stronger contract prospects, while other commentators warn that closer ties to government could expose Musk’s companies to reputational or market risks, as Tesla experienced during his previous government involvement.