Schwyz judge works for Musk - and sees no problem with it

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• Thomas Kaufmann, President of the District Court of Gersau, has been a member of the management board of Starlink Switzerland GmbH since September 2025 and holds a total of 20 secondary mandates in various industries.
• His new role in Elon Musk's corporate environment raises theoretical questions about possible conflicts of interest in court proceedings relating to Tesla, X or Starlink.
• Kaufmann emphasizes that his judicial independence is guaranteed under constitutional law, that all mandates are declared transparently and that he would recuse himself in the event of any conflicts.

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Ten years ago, the people of Gersau cast a clear vote: Thomas Kaufmann was elected as the new president of the district court with 767 votes. But the lawyer is not just a judge. According to the cantonal transparency register, Kaufmann holds 20 other mandates in management and supervisory bodies - spread across sectors such as finance, real estate, construction, technology and medical technology.

For a long time, there seemed to be nothing among them that could seriously call his independence as a judge into question. However, since last fall, the spotlight has fallen on a new function - and it leads directly into Elon Musk's corporate empire, as reported by the "Bote der Urschweiz".

Gersau judge in the Starlink network

Starlink Switzerland GmbH was founded in Sion on September 19, 2025. The company is part of the global network surrounding the Starlink satellite internet project. Thomas Kaufmann from Gersau SZ sits on the management board of the Valais-based company alongside a female executive from the parent company.

Starlink is backed by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk. The multi-billionaire pulls the strings at his companies worldwide - and his influence extends far beyond satellite internet. Musk also controls the short message platform X and the electric car manufacturer Tesla.

What happens in the event of a conflict?

These are still only theoretical considerations. But potential conflicts of interest are easy to construct.

What would happen, for example, if court president Kaufmann had to rule on a traffic accident involving a Tesla - for example, on liability issues relating to the Autopilot function? Or if a Gersauer ends up in court for allegedly spreading offensive content on X?

Even a direct legal dispute with Starlink would at least be conceivable - for example in the event of a conflict over data misuse. Not particularly likely, but not completely out of the question.

Kaufmann: "Independence has top priority"

Thomas Kaufmann shows understanding for possible discussions. "I take public discussions about judicial independence seriously," he says at the request of the "Boten". "The proper and independent exercise of my judicial office has top priority at all times."

There is "no overlap whatsoever between my judicial decision-making and my work in the private sector" between his work as a judge and his commitments in the private sector.

In addition, his judicial independence is guaranteed under constitutional law. "Information flows, decision-making processes and responsibilities are clearly separated."

Kaufmann also refers to transparency: all functions are fully visible in the official transparency register, as well as for the supervisory bodies of the cantonal court and the cantonal council.