Microsoft Partners with SpaceX’s Starlink for Global Internet Expansion
On Tuesday, Microsoft revealed a new collaboration with SpaceX’s Starlink, aimed at enhancing internet access worldwide. This partnership suggests a willingness to engage with Elon Musk’s enterprise, even amid his ongoing disputes with OpenAI—an organization that has a close partnership with Microsoft.
Currently, Musk is embroiled in a contentious legal situation with Sam Altman, one of OpenAI’s founders. Musk is seeking $134 billion from both Microsoft and OpenAI, claiming he deserves “unjust profits” due to his early backing of the company, as indicated by court documents.
Despite this feud, Microsoft appears to maintain a neutral stance regarding Musk. A recent blog post from Microsoft announced plans to work alongside Starlink and a Kenyan internet service provider to establish 540 community hubs in Kenya.
“Through our collaboration with Starlink, Microsoft is combining low-Earth orbit satellite connectivity with a community-based deployment model and local ecosystem partnerships,” noted Microsoft Chief Sustainability Officer Melanie Nakagawa in her post.
She added that this collaboration aims to broaden the tools available for providing digital access, all within a partnership-oriented framework.
This agreement potentially boosts demand for Musk’s space venture, which already holds several government contracts, including ones with the Army Department and NASA. There’s even talk of an IPO later this year.
The Financial Times has previously reported that SpaceX is looking to raise up to $50 billion at a valuation of about $1.5 billion, with Musk hinting at a public offering around mid-June.
Meanwhile, Microsoft is also pursuing legal action against OpenAI, accusing the company of straying from its founding mission by shifting towards a for-profit model.
Musk co-founded OpenAI back in 2015, alongside Altman and several others, including Reid Hoffman, a board member at Microsoft.
On his social media platform X, Musk has criticized Microsoft, suggesting the tech giant has a “responsibility to investigate” Hoffman’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender.
Recently released documents regarding Epstein highlight communications about Hoffman’s visits to various locations associated with Epstein.
Hoffman has acknowledged his past dealings with Epstein through funding connections to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and expressed regret about them.
In various exchanges on social media, Musk and Altman have clashed, including a notably heated argument over which technology has resulted in more fatalities: Musk’s Tesla Autopilot or Altman’s ChatGPT.
Earlier this month, Musk mentioned SpaceX’s plans to merge with xAI, a tech startup that developed the Grok chatbot, which has gained attention.
Additionally, Microsoft’s Foundry cloud software is designed to support Grok models, as announced last year.
