Vinod Khosla is trying to change Elon Musk’s mind on Trump, the economy and climate

Silicon Valley veteran and investor Vinod Khosla examines the intersection of climate technology, political leadership, and the role of government in fostering innovation. Khosla advocates for high-temperature geothermal energy as a critical, underutilized solution for scaling clean electricity, while expressing skepticism toward the social and regulatory hurdles facing nuclear fission. He distinguishes between the necessity of targeted government support for early-stage breakthroughs—citing Tesla and SpaceX as examples—and the dangers of excessive regulation. Regarding the US election, he prioritizes personal values and climate policy, arguing that Donald Trump’s economic and regulatory approach lacks the long-term foresight required for global competitiveness. Ultimately, Khosla emphasizes that while private innovation drives technological progress, effective policy must balance the need for deregulation with the essential "care" required to manage the risks of transformative technologies like artificial intelligence.