SpaceX was founded in 2002 with help of a CIA agent named Mike Griffin ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D._Griffin#Career ) who funneled them funding (lots of citations at end of https://archive.ph/D2zIG ). Griffin worked for In-Q-Tel and also was the Deputy of Technology for the Strategic Defense Initiative, later started the Space Development Agency (SDA) which is to become Trump's SDI in 2025.
It was never about Mars. Look into the Mars Society leadership, they were military / Strategic Defense Initiative people
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D._Griffin#Career#:~:t...