Mark Kelly's spy balloon company

Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), a potential vice presidential pick for Kamala Harris, co-founded World View, a company specializing in spy balloon technology, which received funding from Tencent, a Chinese venture capital firm with ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). World View, initially focused on space tourism, has pivoted to providing aerial surveillance and remote sensing services, with a significant portion of its business related to defense. Despite assurances from World View's leadership that Tencent has no influence over operations, concerns persist regarding the implications of Chinese investment in a company involved in U.S. surveillance capabilities. The scrutiny surrounding Kelly's connections to World View intensified following a Chinese surveillance balloon incident in 2023, prompting discussions about potential political liabilities. Critics highlight the problematic nature of a senator with ties to a CCP-linked enterprise, especially as Kelly's political profile rises. While Kelly distanced himself from World View in 2019, the enduring association with Chinese funding remains a contentious issue.