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Today, I'm launching a new publication, Musk Watch, to complement Popular Information.
Let me explain exactly why I'm doing this: I believe that, at its best, journalism brings transparency and accountability to the actions of the powerful. Traditionally, most power is held by government officials and key industries. That is why we have media publications dedicated to covering the Supreme Court, Congress, Hollywood, and the energy sector.
But our media ecosystem does not reflect the reality of 2025. Today, an extraordinary amount of power is concentrated in just a handful of individuals. Among this select group, no one has more influence than Elon Musk. But there are no publications dedicated to covering Musk's frenetic business and political activities.
Musk Watch is a new kind of independent outlet that reflects our present circumstances. It is dedicated to accountability journalism focused on one of the most powerful humans in history.
Below, you can read the first edition of Musk Watch. But moving forward, this will be a separate publication. I hope you'll sign up and give it a try:
On Mondays, Musk Watch will publish an in-depth report. On Fridays, we will round up Musk's recent activities, drawing from public documents, Musk's communications, and the best journalism from other outlets. You will not just learn about Musk. You will get insight into how global politics, communications, and business functions today.
I've hired Caleb Ecarma, a reporter formerly with Vanity Fair, as the lead reporter for this project. And I'm committed to making Musk Watch free for everyone for several months. Ultimately, however, Musk Watch's future will depend on whether people will support it. We believe this task cannot be left to media outlets owned by other billionaires. To back our efforts and ensure that Musk Watch sticks around, you can sign up for a paid subscription now:
I'd love to know what you think about this new project and any ideas you have for its future. You can reach me at judd@popularinformation.substack.com.
— Judd
MUSK WATCH: Musk’s ‘free’ month of internet cost most LA fire victims $349
The impact of Musk's relief efforts did not match the hype.
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This is a special preview of Musk Watch sent to Popular Information subscribers. To continue to receive these emails weekly, subscribe HERE.
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On January 9, Elon Musk announced to his 213 million followers on X that he would provide a “free” month of internet access to those impacted by the deadly wildfires in Southern California. It would be offered through Starlink, a satellite internet service operated by SpaceX, Musk's space exploration company.
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But missing from Musk's announcement on X was a costly detail: To claim the free month of satellite internet service, eligible Los Angeles area residents first would have to spend a minimum of $349 on a Starlink hardware kit. "A Starlink kit is currently required to access this free service," Starlink notes on its website. "If you do not already have a Starlink kit, you will need to purchase one from starlink.com/residential or an authorized retailer such as Best Buy or Home Depot." According to Starlink, if you order a kit from the company, it typically takes 1-2 weeks to arrive.
Starting February 10, anyone who purchased a $349 kit and claimed the "free" service will be transferred to "a paid Residential subscription," which is currently $120 monthly. Existing Starlink customers living in eligible areas were given a one-month subscription credit.
The disconnect between Musk's public announcement and the reality of the residential internet offer is part of a pattern in Musk's response to the Los Angeles fires. While the initiatives helped some people, the impact is far more limited than Musk's posts — and the attendant media coverage — suggest.
8 Cybertrucks and a tub of red licorice
On January 12, Musk announced he would "position Cybertrucks with Starlinks and free WiFi in a grid pattern in the areas that most need it in the greater LA/Malibu area." The post immediately earned Tesla and its newest luxury vehicle a wave of press attention.
“Elon Musk sends Tesla Cybertrucks to Los Angeles as wildfires continue,” declared a headline from USA Today. "After Attacking L.A. Wildfire Response, Elon Musk Sends His Products to Help," the New York Times reported. “Elon Musk to provide Wi-Fi to wildfire-stricken areas using Starlink, Cybertrucks,” a Fox Business headline proclaimed. Fox’s Los Angeles affiliate asserted that Elon Musk had “[donated] Cybertrucks to LA communities without power.”
Musk became personally involved in the effort, intensifying the media coverage. On the evening of January 12, Musk, with several Cybertrucks in tow, entered a firefighter command center in the Pacific Palisades to hand deliver Starlink kits. On X, Musk proclaimed that he had appropriated a number of Cybertrucks bound for customer fulfillment. He said the vehicles would instead be dispatched to various impacted neighborhoods to serve as mobile internet hotspots and power banks utilizing the Cybertruck’s 1,590lb battery.
Along with his visit to the command center, Musk promoted the Cybertruck as the ideal vehicle in an emergency situation. Musk advertised its defense capabilities while warning of “armed looters” roaming the streets of Los Angeles during the wildfires. “Cybertruck side panels are bulletproof to subsonic projectiles (handguns, shotgun & Tommy gun), but the glass is not, so make sure to duck if you see anyone wielding a gun,” he wrote in a January 12 post on X. “This is not fiction.” Four days later, Tesla began offering discounts on new Cybertrucks for the first time.
But the actual deployment of Cybertrucks for relief efforts appeared to be limited. According to a post by Tesla later on January 12, eight Cybertrucks with Starlink kits were deployed in the area, including three in the parking lot of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department in Altadena. The company emphasized that the bed of at least one Cybertruck was stocked with snacks. A picture of the truck showed several dozen bananas, two bags of oranges, a tub of red licorice, and other items.
It is possible that more Cybertrucks were deployed, but no further updates were provided by Tesla. There is no evidence that a "grid" of wifi access points benefiting a significant number of Angelenos ever materialized. Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.
While Musk's announcement generated headlines, other communications companies provided much more extensive assistance to the area with little notice. Spectrum, for example, provided free, no login-required internet at any of its 35,000 WiFi hotspots across the Los Angeles area.
Where did the Starlink terminals go?
The most significant relief effort connected to Musk was the donation of Starlink kits to fire departments and other entities involved in the relief effort. In a January 16 statement, SpaceX said it had donated