Pardoned Nikola founder Trevor Milton is trying to raise $1B for AI-powered planes

Trevor Milton, the founder of the now-defunct electric truck company Nikola, is embarking on a bold new venture in the aviation sector, almost a year after receiving a presidential pardon. According to a recent report by the Wall Street Journal, Milton is aiming to raise $1 billion to develop autonomous aircraft, leveraging advancements in artificial intelligence. Milton and his investment group acquired SyberJet Aircraft, a struggling aviation company, late last year. Since then, he has been actively working to revitalize the firm, which includes recruiting a significant number of former Nikola employees. Additionally, he has been reaching out to potential investors in Saudi Arabia and has allocated hundreds of thousands of dollars towards lobbying efforts. His vision includes creating a groundbreaking avionics system designed from scratch, intended to pave the way for what he claims will be the first light jet centered on AI-driven flight technology. This innovation could potentially open avenues for lucrative defense contracts. However, Milton, who faced a fraud conviction in 2022, acknowledges the challenges ahead, stating that developing aircraft will be “10 times harder than Nikola ever was.”