Hegseth Names Musk, Luckey to Pentagon Warfare Advisory Board

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has appointed tech billionaires Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey to advisory roles on a new Pentagon initiative focused on the future of warfare, according to The Guardian. Both men are major Republican donors whose companies hold federal defense contracts.

Hegseth unveiled the effort, called Project Meridian, at an event in Quantico, Virginia, on Wednesday, the Guardian reported.

Who Leads Project Meridian?

The project will be led by Pentagon official Emil Michael, a former Uber executive, the Guardian reported. The outlet has previously reported that Michael made millions in profits off non-public stock in a Musk-owned AI company while serving in federal office and while guiding the Defense Department's artificial intelligence efforts.

Along with Musk and Luckey, the panel includes former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a longtime Trump loyalist, according to the Guardian.

What Conflicts of Interest Are at Stake?

Musk and Luckey both lead companies that benefit from federal defense contracting, the Guardian reported. Musk's SpaceX has been a key contractor for U.S. space programs since 2018 and has emerged as a central player in the Trump administration's Golden Dome missile defense program, which the Guardian described as a phenomenally expensive effort. Luckey, who first gained attention in the tech world as the inventor of a virtual reality headset, has since built what the Guardian called immense celebrity in the defense contracting world.

The arrangement installs two of the Trump movement's most significant campaign donors into advisory positions shaping defense policy, the Guardian reported.

How Big a Political Donor Is Musk?

Musk was one of the chief financiers of Donald Trump's 2024 victory, spending more than a quarter of a billion dollars in the run-up to the election, according to the Guardian. The outlet reported that recent campaign filings show Musk remains a major force heading into the coming midterms, with his America PAC active in contested Senate races in Michigan and Texas.

What Comes Next for Project Meridian?

The Guardian did not report a timeline for when Project Meridian will issue recommendations or what authority its advisers will hold over Pentagon procurement decisions. The outlet's reporting focused on the appointments themselves and the financial ties between the appointees and the department they will now advise.

What to watch

• Whether the Pentagon discloses financial disclosure filings for Musk, Luckey and Michael tied to Project Meridian.
• Whether SpaceX or Luckey's companies win new contracts tied to initiatives the panel reviews.
• Whether Democratic lawmakers or watchdog groups call for an ethics review of the appointments.
• Whether America PAC spending patterns shift ahead of the midterms as Musk's Pentagon role draws scrutiny.

The Guardian's full report, including additional detail on Michael's financial history and the structure of Project Meridian, is available at theguardian.com.