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Sanders Accuses Musk of Oligarchy After Starlink Dispute

Senator Sanders criticizes Musk over Starlink in India amid regulatory claims.

New York Editorial News Desk October 12, 2026 1 min read

The Brief

  • Sanders claims Musk spent $290 million on Trump's campaign and gained $696 billion in wealth.
  • Musk accused Indian officials of blocking Star, calling it a crime against the people.
  • India's ministry denied Musk's claims, stating its regulatory framework is fair and non-discriminatory.

United States Senator Bernie Sanders accused SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk of being an 'oligarch,' following Musk's recent allegations about Starlink services in India. Sanders made the claim on X, a social media platform.

Sanders stated that Musk had spent $290 million during Donald Trump's presidential campaign, which he claimed 'paid off' by making Musk 'the world’s first trillionaire.' Sanders also claimed Musk was now spending $366 million to maintain Republican control of Congress.

Musk had previously accused Indian officials of blocking Starlink, calling it a 'crime against the people of India.' He claimed that 'certain oligarchs' were preventing the service from being widely available to protect their 'monopolistic chokehold.'

India's ministry of communications denied Musk's allegations, stating that any claims about the fairness of its regulatory framework were 'baseless and misconceived.' The ministry emphasized that its framework is fair and non-discriminatory for all telecommunication services.

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