Elon Musk now travels with as much as 20 bodyguards who consult with him by the code identify ‘Voyager,’ report says

• Elon Musk’s safety group contains as much as 20 safety guards and a medical skilled, NYT reviews.

• Musk’s safety group reportedly refers back to the Tesla CEO by the code identify “Voyager.”

• Musk’s safety bills have surged amid elevated threats and his rising standing.

“Voyager” — explorer, well-known NASA mission, and now … billionaire tech mogul?

That is the code identify that Elon Musk‘s safety group makes use of to refers to him, The New York Occasions reported as a part of an investigation into the Tesla CEO’s protecting providers.

And “Voyager” does not go very far with out his bodyguards, flanked by as many as 20 safety personnel, some armed — plus a medical skilled — wherever he goes, in keeping with the outlet.

In some ways, Musk’s deep bench of safety personnel is smart. With a web value of over $250 billion, in keeping with Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index, he is the world’s richest individual, and that stratosphere of wealth brings some very actual dangers into the equation.

However Musk wasn’t at all times this rich, and the Occasions reviews that he used to want roaming with out his around-the-clock private platoon. However by 2014, Musk had reportedly upgraded to a revolving circle of safety workers to run his errands, assess threats, and analysis individuals deemed as “inappropriate pursuers.”

These bills may complete six figures in a month, NYT reviews, as soon as reaching a invoice of over $163,000 in January 2016. And Musk has reportedly elevated his safety measures as his wealth, standing, and safety dangers grew.

He additionally hasn’t shied away from speaking about safety considerations or threats made in opposition to him. At Tesla’s annual shareholder assembly in June, Musk mentioned that “two homicidal maniacs” had threatened to kill him in latest months.

He is additionally taken measures to extend his safety.

In 2022, Enterprise Insider revealed that Musk secretly bought a house after his former deal with grew to become public information. A neighbor beforehand advised BI that the billionaire’s home has 24/7 security. Musk additionally tried to take down an X, previously Twitter, account that tracked his private jets a number of occasions.

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With Musk saying issues have been “getting just a little loopy today” on the latest Tesla shareholder assembly, his safety has apparently upped the ante to maintain up.

A Tesla SEC filing revealed that Musk’s safety firm billed the corporate $2.4 million in 2023 and one other $500,000 by February 2024, representing only a portion of Musk’s complete safety bills.

And that safety follows him in all places — even to the bathroom. Musk’s father, Errol, has taken discover, saying that he was fearful for his son’s security “regardless that he has about 100 safety guards round him.” Musk even ramped up safety for Errol’s South African dwelling, arming it with a digicam system, electrified fencing, and fixed monitoring by guards, Errol mentioned.

Musk isn’t the one tech tycoon doubling down on safety expenditures. Mark Zuckerberg’s complete 2023 compensation of $24 million from Meta “consisted virtually completely of prices associated to non-public safety” at his residences and through personal journey, in keeping with an SEC filing.

Different firms spent extra modest numbers, with Apple spending over $820,309 in 2023 on CEO Tim Prepare dinner’s private safety and greater than $1,621,468 on personal travel-related prices.

Tesla has additionally tightened up safety after its former chief monetary officer, Zachary Kirkhorn, obtained a loss of life risk demanding $300,000 in bitcoin through e-mail, Enterprise Insider beforehand reported.

Not less than 5 different 911 have been additionally reportedly made between 2022 and 2023 from Tesla’s HQ, which legislation enforcement categorized as “terroristic threats,” BI reported.

Former and present workers beforehand advised BI that manufacturing facility employees in each Nevada and Texas should undergo badge checks on the shuttle (or on the gate for many who drive to work) and at two separate factors as soon as contained in the constructing.

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