Elon Musk’s Hurricane Gesture Renews Backlash Against Oprah Winfrey Over People of Maui Fund

Tech mogul and MAGA maniac Elon Musk is about to charge Hurricane Helene victims nearly $400 for Starlink web after initially promoting the service as free for disaster-affected communities.

People online are calling him selfish and comparing him to fellow powerhouse Oprah Winfrey, who has faced frequent backlash for not spending more of her own money to assist Native Hawaiians affected by the August 2023 Maui wildfires.

Musk, whose fortune is estimated at $262 billion, announced that his satellite web service could be available to assist with recovery efforts after the devastating hurricane. However, the main points suggest a special story.

Starlink’s initial offer of free web services comes with a very important catch. While the announcement via the corporate’s social media platform promised affected people a month of free web, the high quality print indicates that users will still need to cover the numerous costs of the equipment required to access the service.

“For those affected by Hurricane Helene or wishing to support rescue and recovery efforts in affected areas, Starlink is now free for 30 days,” read the official post on X.

However, those affected by the storm quickly discovered that the essential equipment, normally priced at $350, was still needed, with a reduced price of $299 for disaster relief.

After considering additional shipping and taxes, the overall price for access to Starlink is around $400 – an expense that many hurricane victims attempting to rebuild their lives may not give you the chance to afford, the Register says reports.

This pricing strategy has drawn criticism from the billionaire behind SpaceX and Tesla, especially as communities clean up after Hurricane Milton.

Many have expressed frustration with the hidden costs, seeing it as one other example of wealthy individuals offering limited aid during disasters.

While Musk’s ventures are sometimes praised for his or her innovation, the choice to charge disaster victims for critical web access is sparking a backlash as people compare Musk’s actions to those of other billionaires, corresponding to Oprah Winfrey, who’ve come under scrutiny for not doing more to assist those in need during crises.

When someone posted: “Elon Musk charges hurricane victims $400 for emergency web services. In the time it took you to read this sentence, Elon Musk earned $4,000. Imagine that you simply are the richest person on the planet and you employ your wealth and resources to make the most of people in need as an alternative of helping them.

Another added: “Kind of like Oprah asking people to donate to Maui? She could just write a check and fix almost anything. Instead, he wants Americans who’re already fighting to repair it.

Others jumped in to chase after the media maniac.

“Oprah could have helped people on Maui give 15 million to Kamala Harris instead,” one other one he tweetedrepeating the debunked claim.

When Musk’s parody pretended that the Biden administration asked him if he should ignore the request, someone responded: “No, if you can help with it, that’s why I don’t like Oprah (she has the resources to help Maui but asked Americans to donate). “

The claim comes after protesters criticized the “Beloved” producer and star for giving only two $1,200 rounds to Maui residents in October 2023 while rumors spread that she had donated thousands and thousands to Kamala Harris’ campaign.

However, USA Today debunked the rumor, confirming that Winfrey had not contributed to the Democratic nominee’s campaign, and likewise reported that she had donated greater than $25 million to the Maui People’s Fund to support the crisis within the Hawaii community, where she owns 1,000 acres of land — and suffered over 100 deaths and $5.5 billion in damage.

In the autumn of 2023, OWN owner and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson faced criticism after creating The People’s Fund of Maui, a wildfire recovery fund.

The self-owner faced criticism from the Maui community even after she and Dwayne Johnson pledged an initial donation of $10 million.

People identified that Winfrey owned an estate on the island that was not destroyed, and her estimated net price of $3 billion might have been given more herself fairly than asking the general public for donations. Critics noted the large difference between her wealth and the small amounts most individuals could give.

Additionally, some residents felt that her real estate investments on Maui were driving up real estate prices, adding to their frustration. This situation has highlighted the discrepancy between celebrity donations and what society expects from wealthy individuals.

As Musk’s conversation grew online, users of X he asked“Where are the funds for Maui victims? If there is enough funds why Dwayne Johnson and Oprah lead the foundation for me. ? $750 for each victim is ridiculous.”

Many on 2024, Donald Trump.

On October 4, he tweeted: “Yes, they are actually using YOUR tax money to import voters and disenfranchise you! It’s happening before your eyes. And FEMA used its budget to bring illegals into the country as an alternative of saving American lives. Betrayal.”