Billionaire businessman Elon Musk, recently tasked with cutting government costs, sparked debate by calling for increased immigration of high-skilled foreign workers to the U.S.
On X, Musk lamented a "permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent" in the U.S., calling it a key issue for Silicon Valley. Businessman Mario Nawfal highlighted a need for over 160,000 semiconductor engineers by 2032, quoting McKinsey & Company.
"No, we need more like double that number yesterday!" Musk replied. He stressed that America lacks enough super-talented and motivated engineers.
Musk compared the U.S. economy to a pro sports team. "If you want your TEAM to win the championship, you need to recruit top talent wherever they may be," he argued.
Critics pushed back, urging companies to prioritize American workers. Musk responded sharply to one user: "Your understanding of the situation is upside-down and backwards."
He emphasized that hiring Americans is easier but insufficient. "There is a dire shortage of extremely talented and motivated engineers in America," he explained.
Musk warned that sidelining global talent could backfire. "If you force the world’s best talent to play for the other side, America will LOSE. End of story," he declared.
Some linked Musk’s stance to President-elect Trump’s appointment of Indian-American venture capitalist Sriram Krishnan. Krishnan has advocated removing green card caps for skilled foreign workers.
"Anything to remove country caps for green cards/unlock skilled immigration would be huge," Krishnan posted on X. He called it "simple logic" to focus on skills, not birthplace.
David Sacks, a Trump appointee for AI and cryptocurrency, defended Krishnan’s merit-based approach. Musk agreed, replying, "Makes sense."