The boundaries of Elon Musk’s influence appear to be expanding by the day: The Times broke the news that the Pentagon was scheduled to brief him on its plans for any war with China.

While the highly unusual development raises all sorts of questions, it underscores just how deeply entwined the billionaire is becoming in the federal government — and raises fresh concerns among critics about how his businesses could benefit from those ties.

By any standard, Musk’s request was extraordinary. The Times notes that the Tesla chief and government contractor, who asked for the briefing, was set to be appraised on how the Pentagon would size up China as a military threat, including what targets would be hit if things escalated. While Musk has a security clearance — albeit one that has been under investigation over compliance matters — he’s neither in the military chain of command nor an official White House adviser on Chinese military matters.

After the news broke,ijogo slots President Trump and administration officials denied that the session would center on China war plans: “China will not even be mentioned or discussed,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. (The Wall Street Journal subsequently confirmed that Musk was to be briefed on the topic.)

It’s possible that Musk sought the briefing because of his government-cutting work. Knowing which military programs would be at play in such a conflict could factor into what his Department of Government Efficiency cuts.

The bigger point: Musk could get an enormous business advantage. Knowing confidential Pentagon plans could give Musk-run defense contractors like SpaceX and Starlink a leg up on rivals.

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That strategy could serve as a model for future conservation efforts.

In earlier research, Eduardo Sampaio, an animal behaviorist at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany, found that octopuses in mixed hunting groups would occasionally wind up one arm and wallop a fish. It wasn’t clear which fish were the most punch-worthy, or whether the fish and the octopuses were really working together. Fish might have been simply taking advantage of a cephalopod by following behind while it flushed out prey.

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