Can Elon Musk Ever Support Bittensor?

Elon Musk’s long-standing friendship with Jason Calacanis is no secret. Musk invested in Calacanis’s now-defunct search engine Mahalo years ago, and the two deepened ties during Musk’s takeover of Twitter (now X), where Calacanis advised on layoffs and monetization. Their bond was even highlighted in court documents during the Twitter v. Musk case, where Calacanis openly called Musk a friend.

Fast forward to 2025: Calacanis is now backing Stillcore Capital, a fund launched with the ambitious goal of accumulating a significant position in Bittensor ($TAO).

This raises the obvious question—if Calacanis is pushing Bittensor, is Musk aware? And if he is, could he ever publicly support it?

All-In: Amplifying Influence Through Podcast Power

Calacanis doesn’t operate in a vacuum—his influence extends through the All-In Podcast, a powerhouse platform he co-hosts that reaches millions of tech-savvy listeners. Launched in 2020, the show features Calacanis alongside frequent collaborators David Sacks, Chamath Palihapitiya, and David Friedberg. With episodes routinely topping charts on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, All-In has become a de facto roundtable for Silicon Valley’s elite, dissecting everything from AI ethics to crypto regulations.

This network adds another layer to Calacanis’s Bittensor play. David Sacks, in particular, brings unparalleled Washington clout as President Trump’s White House AI and Crypto Czar, a role he assumed in early 2025 to champion deregulation and U.S. innovation in both fields. Sacks has pushed for lighter-touch policies on AI proliferation and crypto adoption, including executive orders to position America as the “crypto capital of the planet”. Chamath Palihapitiya, the venture capitalist behind Social Capital, rounds out the group with his bold bets on disruptive tech, often echoing Musk’s own anti-establishment vibes.

Together, these “besties” (as they call themselves) form an echo chamber of ideas that could subtly elevate decentralized projects like Bittensor. Recent episodes have touched on AI’s future in a post-regulation world, with Sacks touting pro-growth stances that align with Bittensor’s open marketplace model. If Calacanis weaves TAO into these discussions—Musk is a known listener—the podcast could serve as a backchannel.

The Conflict of Interest

On paper, the answer seems simple: No. Musk is heavily invested in xAI, his own centralized AI venture. In 2025 alone, xAI:

• Acquired Hotshot (AI-powered video generation).
• Merged with X Corp. to consolidate AI and social media under one roof.
• Raised $5B in equity and debt, with SpaceX contributing $2B.

These moves cement Musk’s commitment to controlling xAI’s direction. Publicly endorsing Bittensor—a decentralized rival—could be seen as undermining his own company’s value.

Why Musk Might Still Support Bittensor

Despite the conflict, there are compelling reasons why Musk could speak favorably about Bittensor, even indirectly:

• Cost & Scale: Running xAI requires enormous GPU resources (e.g., Nvidia H100/H200 chips). Musk has reportedly redirected Tesla GPUs to xAI, showing the strain. Bittensor, powered by a global network of contributors, could ease that burden.
• Openness & Innovation: Musk has a track record of championing openness, like when Tesla open-sourced its patents. Bittensor thrives on community-driven contribution, which aligns with Musk’s “let the best ideas win” philosophy.
• Less Reliance on Data Centers: Bittensor already supports models at huge scale. If integrated, it could help xAI reduce dependence on proprietary infrastructure, cutting costs and risk.
• Visionary Positioning: Musk’s reputation is built on disruption. Even a nod toward Bittensor would frame him as someone supporting both centralized and decentralized futures—strengthening his influence across the industry.

The Bigger Picture

Bittensor isn’t just another project. Its goal is to build a decentralized marketplace for intelligence, powered by its token TAO and secured by thousands of contributors worldwide. That ethos runs counter to centralized AI giants—but it also echoes Musk’s own history of challenging entrenched industries, from automakers to space.

Still, the tension is clear: Musk holds the reins of xAI. Any overt support for Bittensor risks confusing investors, undermining xAI’s valuation, and emboldening competitors like OpenAI and Google.

Conclusion: A Balancing Act

Can Elon Musk ever support Bittensor? The answer isn’t straightforward. He may never openly endorse it while xAI is his crown jewel. But through Jason Calacanis—and by Musk’s own instincts to back disruptive models—there’s a chance he could quietly encourage or benefit from its growth.

In the end, Musk faces a classic dilemma: protect his centralized empire or embrace a decentralized vision that mirrors his legacy as a disruptor. Whichever path he chooses, the world will be watching closely—because the future of Bittensor may define the next big shift in tech power.