We're starting 2025 with a cheerful subject: the rise, and rise, of a new class of international oligarchs. With Elon Musk – the world's richest man and most pathological tweeter – dominating headlines in the UK, as well as the US, questions are emerging about undue influence from a minority of super-rich people. Why is Mr Musk pushing the King of England to dismiss Prime Minister Keir Starmer? And how do oligarchs, beyond the Tesla chief, exert their power around the world? Emily Tamkin, in Washington, Tom Hamilton, in London, and Rohan Venkat, in Delhi, discuss.

Here are the Trike Recommendations from this episode (a special self-indulgence roster):

• https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/30/us/politics/elon-musk-trump-mar-a-lago.html?smid=nytcore-android-share
• https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2025/01/elon-musk-george-soros-biden-presidential-medal-freedom.html
• https://www.thetimes.com/article/0c1bbae8-cb04-45e8-acf9-8c420f264d82?shareToken=c02533f9c71249c53ca4adc156b57f4d
• https://www.ft.com/content/cfbfa1e8-d8f8-42b9-b74c-dae6cc6185a0
• https://www.newslaundry.com/2025/01/06/endangered-and-unpaid-mukesh-chandrakars-life-symbolised-the-bastar-media-story

Subscribe below to our contributors' Substacks:

• ET Write Home by Emily Tamkin (via Emily's Substack you can also listen to the PREMIUM version of the show)
• India Inside Out by Rohan Venkat
• Dividing Lines by Tom Hamilton

The Political Tricycle is a Podot podcast.

It's presented by Emily Tamkin, Tom Hamilton and Rohan Venkat.

Executive Producer: Nick Hilton.

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To watch a video version of the show, go to COOLER.NEWS

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