A post about not funding Nazis with my FIRE portfolio.

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We all saw it.

This week, the world’s current economic superpower formally inaugurated their tangerine-in-chief for the second time.

There are many things that could be said about Overlord Trump. This isn’t the place for it.

However, the surprise unboxing of Elon Musk’s actual love of Der Führer stole the show.

Misreading a room

I could in some circumstances give a man benefit of the doubt. I can see how it could be possible for someone who really can’t read the room to think: “we’re Republicans, this is meant as a hark back to the old Roman republic!”.

But our brave boy Elon is also funding far right groups in Germany and the UK.

So, no. He’s a wrong ‘un.

Fuck that.

I didn’t serve my country just to pay over my new civilian wages to fund actual Nazis.

“Honour” is still a thing to be valued. “Shame” – I mean actual shame, not just embarrassing mistakes or just getting things wrong despite intentions – is still a concept that needs to exist in the world.

I cannot in good conscience continue to pay money to Elon Musk.

So we suspended our Starlink connection. I’ve kept the kit because there’s no downside to that, and besides: he could leave the company, right?

Probably won’t, but it’s a possibility.

The Problem.

Pretty much every index fund that includes the US invests in Tesla.

I know – I spent last night looking!

Possible solutions

  1. Go back to using Wealthify. I checked the funds in my ethical portfolio on the robo-investor and they appear to be Elon-free. At least, for now.
  2. Pick own equities, at least for the US. Can be done but generally price inefficient and quite admin-heavy.
  3. Ignore the US entirely, use geographical index funds. This would mean losing out on exposure to the world’s biggest market. Not every company in America can be run by a baddie… can it?

I don’t have the answers yet but at least the half of my portfolio in the robo-investor is still doing what it does while I plan.

Short term

In the short term I have cancelled Starlink and sold out of my formerly preferred index fund.

The sadness is real, but I only have limited ways to voice my displeasure and removal of my buying power is at least something. At least my conscience will be clean.

My financial independence campaign continues…