Politics

But Musk ended up as more wrecking ball than problem solver. His agency did not help the FAA buy or implement any major system upgrades. He wrongly accused Verizon of running the FAA’s communications system, while also failing to turn Starlink into the agency’s telecom provider of choice. Its signature achievement was the termination of 400 FAA employees, including maintenance technicians at 18 different air traffic control centers.

In July 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act authorized $12.5 billion in supplemental funding for a complete overhaul of the FAA’s air traffic control system. Of that total, roughly $5 billion is dedicated for software upgrades. And since Elon Musk’s DOGE fell short of its promises, the administration has invited Peter Thiel, another Republican megadonor, to step in at the FAA. His company Palantir is deeply integrated with the FAA’s systems, making it a prime contender for many of those contracts, despite no significant prior experience with air traffic control.

According to air traffic controllers — several of whom spoke to The Verge on condition of anonymity so as not to jeopardize their jobs — these moves will do little to alleviate the issues on the ground (and in the air). They say that the FAA’s most urgent needs remain on the personnel side.

None of the $12.5 billion in new FAA funding authorized by the One Big Beautiful Bill goes toward personnel. Instead, it seems destined for Palantir’s pockets.