Bankman-Fried carefully cultivated, with lavish donations and the right talking points, a membership in the same club as those who might now vilify him in the public eye or government.

He was an up-and-comer in “effective altruism,” first drawn to it out of a desire to protest factory farming, an Environmental and Social Governance adherent, a Democratic super donor, a supporter of government regulation (he helped to craft, naturally), and a backer of various media ventures. The result was hagiographic coverage before the downfall and kid-glove coverage after. …

And Musk?

Well, “His political donations over the past several years have trended from majority-blue, to mixed, to almost entirely Republicans. He’s promised that if his bid to purchase Twitter is successful, he’ll bring former President Donald Trump back to the platform.”

He is not in the club anymore. Neither his donations nor his talking points earn him protection from those who now vilify him in the public eye and government.