Ram Madhav writes: Is the world drifting into a ‘heteropolar’ era of billionaire-controlled geopolitics?

The world may be sliding into a "heteropolar" era where billionaire-controlled geopolitics reigns supreme, according to Ram Madhav. Before invading Ukraine in February 2022, Russian forces disabled Ukraine's Viasat satellite communications link, leaving Ukrainian army commanders unable to coordinate with field units and share information.

Instead of seeking help from Western powers, Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov turned to Elon Musk via X (formerly Twitter), requesting Starlink stations to aid Ukraine's war efforts. Musk obliged, providing 500 terminals to the Ukrainian army within days, which significantly bolstered their communications capabilities. However, Musk's influence over Ukraine's communication infrastructure also allowed him to cut off services in Crimea when Ukrainian forces attempted to launch a strike on the Russian naval fleet.

This turned Musk into a de facto NSA for Ukraine, demonstrating his outsized power in supporting or hindering military operations. The situation highlights how tech giants like Musk can wield significant influence over geopolitics, potentially outweighing the support of Western governments. In Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's government faced a threat not from liberal European leaders or the Democratic administration in Washington, but from philanthropist George Soros, whom Orbán accused of destabilizing right-wing governments.

Soros's Open Society Foundation funded opposition to Orbán, ultimately contributing to his ouster from power after 15 years in office. Similarly, in India, billionaire Elon Musk has become a player in shaping geopolitical dynamics, further illustrating the growing influence of big-tech and big-money elites in international affairs.