Putin calls Elon Musk a 'real genius' after satellite talks with the SpaceX boss, as Russia plans its own Starlink rival

Vladimir Putin called Elon Musk a 'real genius' at the Russia-Africa summit in Moscow and said Russia was in close contact with him about satellite technology. Russia is building its own satellite internet network, Rassvet.

L 40%C 40%R 20%

L 40% · C 40% · R 20% · 10 outlets

Left 0 · Centre-left 4 · Centre 4 · Centre-right 1 · Right 1

Context Sources by lean Video Deep dive Follow the money More coverage

How each side framed it

Left-leaning outlets

'Putin hails Elon Musk as ‘genius’ weeks after Starlink access slowed down for Ukraine' (Independent).

Centre outlets

Centre-rated outlets headline it: “Elon Musk is a 'real genius', Putin says after satellite talks with SpaceX boss” (BBC News); “Putin salutes Musk's genius as Russia plays catch-up with Starlink” (Reuters).

Right-leaning outlets

'Putin calls Elon Musk a ‘real genius’ after SpaceX boss ‘ordered Starshield blackout’' (The Sun).

Context

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Sources by lean

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Video

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Deep dive

A short prompt for thinking it through. We write a fuller side-by-side deep dive for the day's biggest stories.

The paradox: A network that kept Ukraine connected is now praised by the leader it was used against.

A question to hold: What would each side need to see to change its mind?

Try it: open one left and one right article in Sources by lean and note what each takes for granted.

Follow the money

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Who owns or funds the outlets covering this story (10 outlets)

Outlet	Lean	Ownership & funding (MBFC)
Bloomberg	Centre-left	Michael R. Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP (The parent company of Bloomberg News). According to Investopedia, Bloomberg Terminal (remote software used to access financial information) is the most expensive among financial data providers. source
Daily Mirror	Centre-left	British Publishing Company Reach plc (formerly Trinity Mirror) owns The Daily Mirror. Revenue is generated through digital advertising, print ads, and subscription fees. source
The Guardian	Centre-left	The Guardian and its companion publication, the Sunday newspaper The Observer, are owned by Guardian Media Group plc (GMG). Scott Trust Limited was created in 1936 to ensure the editorial independence of the publications and owns Guardian Media Group plc (GMG). source
The Independent	Centre-left	The Independent is owned by Independent Print Limited, a company owned by the Lebedev family (Alexander Lebedev and his son Evgeny Lebedev). In 2017, Saudi Businessman Sultan Muhammad Abuljadayel bought a 30% stake in the Independent online newspaper. Advertising and subscription generate revenue for the paper..push({}); source
BBC News	Centre	The BBC operates under a Royal Charter. Oversight is managed by the BBC Board, and regulatory authority rests with Ofcom. source
France 24	Centre	France 24 is owned by France Médias Monde, a state-owned French holding company that supervises and coordinates the activities of the major public media organizations broadcasting or publishing internationally from France. Besides government funding, they also generate revenue through advertising. source
Reuters	Centre	In April 2008, the British company Reuters Group was acquired by Thomson Corporation and formed Thomson Reuters. source
The Hill	Centre	In 2021, The Hill was purchased by Nexstar, which owns around 200 TV stations and media outlets nationwide. The founder, chairman, president, and CEO of Nexstar is Perry A. Sook. source
The Times	Centre-right	The Times and Sunday Times is owned by News UK (News Corp UK & Ireland Limited), which American News Corp owns. The owner and Executive Chairman of News Corp are Rupert Murdoch. Revenue is derived from advertising and subscription fees. source
The Sun	Right	The Sun is published by the News Group Newspapers division of News UK, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. The paper generates revenue through advertising, newsstand sales, and subscriptions. source