NYU professor and podcaster Scott Galloway called Elon Musk a “traitor” on Tuesday, comparing the SpaceX CEO to Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were convicted of conspiring to spy for the Soviet Union and executed in 1953.
On his “Prof G Podcast,” Galloway offered a hypothetical from the 1930s to make his point. He imagined aviator Charles Lindbergh supporting cooperation with Germany as the United States debated returning to Europe, then gaining control of an aircraft manufacturer and supplying the British with bombers.
In Galloway’s scenario, Lindbergh shuts off the planes’ guidance systems during a mission, helping Germany’s advance and leading to British deaths. Galloway said he saw a parallel in reports that SpaceX had limited Starlink speeds in Ukraine last month, allegedly disrupting Ukrainian military operations in its war with Russia.
Galloway acknowledged that calling Musk a traitor was an inflammatory claim, but said he believed Musk had betrayed the West. He argued that the public’s admiration for wealth and innovation may be making people less willing to recognize what he sees as disloyalty.
Musk has said Ukraine was using Starlink in ways that violated the service’s restrictions. He described Starlink as a civilian commercial service and said it had never been intended for offensive drone attacks.
Galloway made similar remarks on the “Pivot” podcast, saying Musk should be held to the same standard as other people accused of betraying Western interests.
Theo Wold, who served as a deputy assistant for domestic policy in the White House during Donald Trump’s first term, rejected the comparison. He described Musk as an innovator whose work reflects Western technological progress and optimism. Wold also argued that Galloway’s criticism was politically motivated and encouraged hostility toward Musk.
Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
