Elon Musk’s growing empire is fueled by $4.9 billion in government subsidies

Tesla Motors Inc., SolarCity Corp. and Space Exploration Technologies Corp., known as SpaceX, together have benefited from an estimated $4.9 billion in government support, according to data compiled by The Times. The figure underscores a common theme running through his emerging empire: a public-private financing model underpinning long-shot start-ups.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hy-musk-subsidies-20150531-story.html#page=1