Rocket Lab launched an Electron rocket with four DiskSat satellites for the US Space Force from Wallops Island. These satellites are a new type of spacecraft developed by Aerospace Corporation, measuring 102 by 2.5 centimeters.
The US Senate has confirmed Jared Isaacman as NASA Administrator. He will lead the 14,000-employee agency, which is investing billions of dollars in returning humans to the Moon and sending astronauts to Mars.
Tesla shares reached an all-time high of $489. 88 on December 16, up 3.1% for the day. The company's market value rose to $1.63 trillion, and Elon Musk's fortune reached $684 billion.
Susie Wiles, in an interview with Vanity Fair, called Elon Musk a "ketamine user" and J. D. Vance a "conspiracy theorist." The White House called the publication a "dishonestly framed article," but Trump's press secretary expressed support for Wiles.
Tesla's board of directors earned over $3 billion in stock awards, significantly exceeding the value of competitors' awards. Elon Musk's brother, Kimbal, earned nearly $1 billion, while Ira Ehrenpreis and Robyn Denholm received $869 million and $650 million, respectively.
Elon Musk's xAI company and the government of El Salvador are launching a large-scale educational program for over a million schoolchildren in 5,000 public schools. The project will use the Grok chatbot for personalized learning, adapted to the individual pace and interests of students.
Australia has legally banned children under 16 from accessing social media, including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urged young people to use their free time for personal development.
Donald Trump stated that Europe "is moving in a bad direction," expressing the US's unwillingness to see such significant changes. He called the EU's fine on the social network X "disgusting."
Morgan Stanley downgraded Tesla's stock rating to "hold" due to the company's "full valuation," despite its pursuit of development in robotics and artificial intelligence. Analysts expect volatile trading and potential downgrades, forecasting a decline in electric vehicle sales in North America.
The European Commission lost access to its advertising account on the X social network after being fined 120 million euros for violating transparency rules. Company representative Nikita Bier stated that the account was blocked due to an attempt to exploit a vulnerability.
Musk once again distinguished himself with his incomprehensible behavior, publishing a rather strange image of the EU and Third Reich flags on his social media page.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski recommended Elon Musk to go to Mars. This happened after Musk proposed the idea of dissolving the European Union, criticizing the EU for a fine of 120 million euros.
Elon Musk reacted to the European Commission's decision to fine the social network X, stating that the European Union should be "abolished. " He believes that sovereignty should be returned to individual countries.
SpaceX is in talks to sell insider shares, which could value it at $800 billion. This would make it the most valuable startup in the world, breaking OpenAI's previous record.
The European Commission has fined Elon Musk's X platform 120 million euros for transparency violations under the EU's Digital Services Act. This is the first fine imposed under the bloc's flagship content moderation law.
Tesla registrations in Europe fell by 12. 3% in November, reaching about 17,000 cars. Excluding Norway, the decline was 36.3%, while in Norway sales increased by 175%.
The Irish media regulator has launched an investigation into TikTok and LinkedIn. The reason is a suspicion of inadequate mechanisms for reporting illegal content, which could lead to a fine of up to 6% of annual revenue.
Journalists from Wired found that young tech specialists from the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) continue to work in federal agencies, maintaining ties with the authorities. This is happening despite official reports of the liquidation of the department, which was previously associated with Elon Musk.
The European Commission is developing a list of satellite services for EU military needs, which will be integrated into a new satellite constellation. The project envisages investments in satellites to provide high-quality Earth images at 30-minute intervals.
The Trump administration is trying to protect Elon Musk from testifying in a lawsuit related to his work at the U. S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The lawsuit concerns allegations of "unconstitutional seizure of power" and "dismantling" USAID, an international aid agency.
The European Space Agency (ESA) has requested 22 billion euros for the next three years and will present a proposal for 1. 35 billion euros for a new program to strengthen defense capabilities in space. This is the first time that the civilian organization ESA, founded in 1975, is moving into the military sector.
The Trump administration effectively shut down the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which was created to streamline government and was closely associated with Elon Musk. The department was disbanded approximately eight months before the expiration of its mandate, which was set to run until July 2026.
The Grok chatbot, developed by Elon Musk's xAI company, after the release of Grok 4. 1, demonstrates a significant overestimation of Musk's abilities. It believes that Musk would be a professional football player, would choose him for a fashion show instead of famous models, and would commission a painting from him instead of Monet or Van Gogh.
French prosecutors are investigating Holocaust denial by X's AI-powered chatbot Grok. Grok's comments about crematoria at Auschwitz are included in an ongoing cybercrime investigation.
Cristiano Ronaldo attended a dinner at the White House with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, where Donald Trump mentioned the footballer's meeting with his son Barron. Ronaldo arrived in Washington with his fiancée and took selfies with Elon Musk and other influential figures.
Elon Musk stated that people will be able to upload their minds to Tesla's Optimus robot within 20 years. This will be possible through a combination of Optimus robots and the Neuralink brain-computer interface, which will allow the transfer of a "mind copy" into a robotic body.
Jeff Bezos has invested $6. 2 million in Project Prometheus, a new artificial intelligence startup. The company focuses on technologies that assist in engineering and manufacturing, including computers, aerospace, and automobiles.
Emirates airline intends to equip its fleet with Starlink satellite internet from SpaceX. This could be the biggest victory for Elon Musk's service in the aviation industry.
Billie Eilish criticized Elon Musk for accumulating wealth, claiming that he could have spent his money on philanthropic goals. The singer shared an infographic stating that Musk could end world hunger and rebuild Gaza.
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin successfully launched its New Glenn rocket for the first time, carrying two NASA satellites to Mars and landing the first stage on a sea platform. The Escapade mission, costing less than $100 million, will study Mars' atmosphere.
