Al di là della cancellazione di singoli programmi, l’elefante nella stanza è l’enorme conflitto di interessi che si è venuto a creare. A sottolinearlo, segnalo due passaggi dell’articolo …
Petro announced that a longtime SpaceX employee named Michael Altenhofen had joined the agency “as a senior advisor to the NASA Administrator.” Altenhofen is an accomplished engineer who interned at NASA in 2005 but has spent the last 15 years at SpaceX, most recently as a leader of human spaceflight programs. He certainly brings expertise, but his hiring also raises concerns about SpaceX’s influence over NASA operations.
[…]
[Isaacman] has paid, and possibly still owes, significant money to SpaceX for the Polaris Program of missions he has signed up for. So, there are some financial entanglements.
… e aggiungo qualche considerazione riguardo ai financial entanglements di cui parla Berger, entanglements che mi sembra riduttivo confinare ai soli pagamenti versati o ancora dovuti da Isaacman a SpaceX.
Shift4 - l’azienda fondata da Isaacman - nel 2021 ha stretto una partnership commerciale con SpaceX / Starlink⁽¹⁾ e investito almeno 27,5 milioni di dollari⁽²⁾ nell’azienda di Musk.
Isaacman ha annunciato che si dimetterà da CEO una volta ottenuta la nomina ma non risultano impegni sulla cessione della sua partecipazione azionaria in Shift4⁽³⁾.
Anzi, nella lettera inviata agli impiegati⁽⁴⁾ in occasione della nomina scrive che intende conservarla.
I also plan to retain the majority of my equity interest in Shift4, subject to ethics obligations and will move quickly to reduce my voting power to be commensurate with other Class-A shareholders.
Nel caso mantenesse questo proposito, avremo un amministratore della NASA che detiene quote di una azienda che ha investimenti diretti e una partnership commerciale con uno dei principali fornitori dell’agenzia.
Note.
1. 
Shift4 stock surges after company signs payments deal with SpaceX’s Starlink
2. The fintech CEO who is becoming a frequent flier with SpaceX
3. 
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 [pdf]
4. 
Subject: Jared Isaacman’s Acceptance of Nomination for NASA Administrator [pdf]
Edit. 07.02
Sempre a proposito di conflitto di interessi.
La lettera inviata all’amministratore pro tempore della NASA. [pdf]
Dear Acting Administrator Petro
Edit 08.02
L’amministrazione USA dice che sarà lo stesso Musk che a vagliare ed evitare i propri conflitti di interesse.
Trump said Monday that Musk would be kept away from interacting with aspects of government that could be a conflict of interest, saying if “there’s a problem, we won’t let him go near it.” However, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that Musk would be trusted with calling out his own conflicts of interest. If the tech billionaire encounters a conflict of interest with his companies’ contracts and the funding overseen by DOGE, “then Elon will excuse himself from those contracts,” Leavitt said.
Referencing Trump’s comments from Monday, she [press secretary Karoline Leavit replied:
The president was already asked to answer this question this week. And he said, if Elon Musk comes across a conflict of interest with the contracts and the funding that DOGE is overseeing, that Elon will excuse himself from those contracts, and he has again abided by all applicable laws.