Throwing money at the poor

Spoken like a true 19th Century Liberal, or a present-day Trumpist Republican.

I take it, then, that you feel that Elon Musk is a 'greedy self-indulgent piggy'

I take it, then, that you maintain that Elon Musk is NOT spending his money in the sure and certain hope of making an obscenely large amount more?

The by-product of the exercise is the development of new technology.

Ah yes - a "technology will save the world and solve all its problems" acolyte. I give you the Oy-Phone.