Putin compares Elon Musk to Soviet space program engineer

Published 16/04/2025, 17:36
© Reuters.

Investing.com -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has likened Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to Sergei Korolev, the chief engineer responsible for the Soviet Union’s space achievements during the 1950s and 1960s. The comparison was made during a discussion on Russia’s space policy with students, as reported by state news agency TASS on Thursday.

Putin was quoted saying, "You know, there’s a person who lives in the States, you could say that he’s absolutely crazy about Mars." He then drew parallels between Musk and Korolev, who played a crucial role in the Soviet Union’s successful mission of sending Yuri Gagarin on the world’s first manned spaceflight in 1961.

Putin further remarked that such individuals, driven by a unique idea, are rare in the human population. He added that although such ideas might seem incredible at the current time, they often become reality in the future. This isn’t the first time Putin has praised Musk, previously describing him as "an outstanding person".

Musk, who also serves as a top advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump, has recently been vocal in his criticism of Ukraine.

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