Elon Musk's xAI Hires Former Trump Aide Katie Miller Amid Memphis Data Center Controversy
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Katie Miller Joins Elon Musk's xAI After Leaving White House
Elon Musk's xAI got permission for gas turbines at its Memphis data center. This happened despite local pollution concerns. Katie Miller, previously with Trump, now handles xAI communications. She shared pollution data and defended xAI's environmental efforts. Miller's role at xAI and other Musk companies remains unclear. Her move raises questions given Musk's political differences with Trump.On Wednesday night, Elon Musk's AI company xAI sent a rare email to reporters. The email said xAI got a permit to use gas-powered turbines at its Memphis data center, despite local protests about pollution, as per the reports. xAI usually doesn't talk to the media. Musk ended all PR teams at his companies years ago, and they now only post on social media. Even when reporters ask questions, like from Fortune, xAI usually ignores them, as per the report by Fortune. This time, the email came from Katie Miller, wife of Stephen Miller, who was Trump's deputy chief of staff. Katie Miller worked as a communications manager and political adviser in the Trump White House and Department of Government Efficiency. ALSO READ: US Independence Day 2025: Where to watch parades and fireworks on Fourth of July Trump's former press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Katie was a key person who helped get the DOGE initiative running. Katie left the White House in May to work full-time for Elon Musk, including at xAI, as reported by CNN. Neither Katie nor Stephen Miller have publicly spoken about why she left Trump's team or her work with Musk. Her departure raised questions because Stephen stayed with Trump, while Katie joined Musk, who is now fighting with Trump politically, as stated by the reports. Since then, Musk said he might create a new political party, and Trump hinted he might go after Musk's companies or even deport him. Katie is now clearly working with xAI. The email came from her xAI address, and her X account now shares xAI updates, plus Tesla news and media criticism, as per the report by Fortune. In her email, Katie gave info about pollution checks done at xAI's Memphis site and included a statement from xAI. The statement said xAI's new power system will have top-level emissions control tech, making it the cleanest data center of its kind in the U.S, as per the report. ALSO READ: Trump brags about planting Elon Musk drug abuse story in NYT -- 'I made that happen' She said xAI wants to be a "valued partner to the Memphis community." Katie also sent a second email in late June, sharing a third-party pollution study that showed no dangerous pollution near the Memphis data center, according to the report by Fortune. When Fortune asked Katie about her exact role at xAI or if she works at other Musk companies like Tesla or SpaceX, she did not reply, as per reports. Q1. Who is Katie Miller and why is she working with Elon Musk? Katie Miller is a former Trump aide who now works at Elon Musk's xAI, handling media and communications. Q2. What is the controversy around xAI's Memphis data center? xAI got a permit to use gas turbines in Memphis, but locals are worried about pollution from the site.
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Elon Musk's xAI Hires Trump Aide Stephen Miller's Wife Katie Amid Controversial Memphis Data Center Permit Win - Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG), Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD)
Elon Musk's artificial intelligence startup xAI has hired Katie Miller, wife of President Donald Trump's Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, as a communications manager just as the company secured a controversial permit for its Memphis data center operations. What Happened: The Shelby County Health Department on Wednesday approved xAI's application to operate 15 natural gas-burning turbines at its Colossus supercomputer facility, despite months of community protests over air quality concerns. The permit includes emissions limits and testing requirements, with penalties reaching $10,000 per day for non-compliance. Katie Miller, a seasoned political operative who previously worked at the Department of Government Efficiency, announced the permit approval in a rare email to reporters from her xAI corporate address, reported Fortune. The communication marked an unusual departure for Musk's companies, which disbanded media relations teams years ago and typically communicate only through social media. "xAI welcomes today's decision by the Shelby County Health Department," Miller wrote. "Our onsite power generation will be equipped with state-of-the-art emissions control technology, making this facility the lowest emitting of its kind in the country." See Also: Trump's Decision To End Tax-Free Loophole For Low-Value Goods From China Leads To A Sharp Decline In Air Cargo Shipments Why It Matters: Miller's hiring comes amid growing tensions between Trump and Musk. She departed the White House in May to work full-time for Musk's ventures, according to CNN, while her husband remains with the Trump administration. The relationship between the two billionaires has deteriorated, with Musk recently threatening to fund a rival political party. The Memphis facility powers xAI's Grok AI model and represents Musk's direct challenge to OpenAI's ChatGPT and Alphabet Inc.'s GOOGL GOOG Google Gemini. The company recently raised $10 billion in debt and equity, with discussions underway for an additional $20 billion equity round that could value xAI at over $120 billion. The Memphis supercomputer utilizes primarily NVIDIA Corp. NVDA GPUs, with additional chips from Advanced Micro Devices Inc. AMD. Musk plans to deploy 1 million GPUs at the facility, with acquisition costs estimated between $30 billion and $40 billion, according to analyst Gene Munster. Read Next: Boeing Wins $2.8 Billion US Space Force Contract To Build Nuclear-Resilient Satellites For Strategic Communications Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Photo courtesy: JRdes / Shutterstock.com AMDAdvanced Micro Devices Inc$137.97-0.40%Stock Score Locked: Edge Members Only Benzinga Rankings give you vital metrics on any stock - anytime. Unlock RankingsEdge RankingsMomentum36.47Growth96.92Quality82.06Value13.42Price TrendShortMediumLongOverviewGOOGAlphabet Inc$180.540.43%GOOGLAlphabet Inc$179.500.48%NVDANVIDIA Corp$159.251.27%Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs
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Katie Miller, former Trump administration official, joins Elon Musk's xAI as communications manager. The move coincides with xAI's controversial permit approval for gas turbines at its Memphis data center, sparking environmental concerns.
Former Trump Aide Joins Elon Musk's xAI
In a surprising move, Katie Miller, a former Trump administration official, has joined Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI as a communications manager. This transition comes at a crucial time for xAI, as the company recently secured a controversial permit for its Memphis data center operations 12.
Source: Economic Times
Controversial Permit Approval
The Shelby County Health Department approved xAI's application to operate 15 natural gas-burning turbines at its Colossus supercomputer facility in Memphis. This decision came despite months of community protests over air quality concerns. The permit includes emissions limits and testing requirements, with potential penalties of up to $10,000 per day for non-compliance 2.
Katie Miller, in her new role, announced the permit approval in a rare email to reporters. She stated, "xAI welcomes today's decision by the Shelby County Health Department. Our onsite power generation will be equipped with state-of-the-art emissions control technology, making this facility the lowest emitting of its kind in the country" 2.
xAI's Strategic Moves
Source: Benzinga
The Memphis facility is a critical component of xAI's infrastructure, powering the company's Grok AI model. This positions xAI as a direct challenger to established AI platforms like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini 2. The company has recently raised $10 billion in debt and equity, with discussions underway for an additional $20 billion equity round that could value xAI at over $120 billion 2.
Technological Specifications
The Memphis supercomputer utilizes primarily NVIDIA GPUs, with additional chips from Advanced Micro Devices. Elon Musk plans to deploy 1 million GPUs at the facility, with acquisition costs estimated between $30 billion and $40 billion, according to analyst Gene Munster 2.
Political Implications
Katie Miller's hiring comes amid growing tensions between Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Miller departed the White House in May to work full-time for Musk's ventures, while her husband, Stephen Miller, remains with the Trump administration 12. This move has raised eyebrows, given the deteriorating relationship between Trump and Musk, with the latter recently threatening to fund a rival political party 2.
Environmental Concerns and xAI's Response
In response to local pollution concerns, xAI has been proactive in addressing environmental issues. Katie Miller shared information about pollution checks conducted at the Memphis site and included a statement from xAI emphasizing their commitment to environmental responsibility 1. The company claims that its new power system will incorporate top-level emissions control technology, aiming to make it the cleanest data center of its kind in the United States 1.
As xAI continues to expand its operations and challenge established players in the AI industry, the appointment of Katie Miller and the controversial Memphis data center permit highlight the complex interplay between technology, politics, and environmental concerns in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence.
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