Musk’s rapid political ascension is unprecedented. While wealthy patrons have exerted influence before, no unelected businessman has ever wielded such political power.
Musk played a large role in the closing stages of Trump’s presidential campaign, appearing with him at a rally in Pennsylvania on the site where a gunman wounded the Republican candidate, and personally funding a reelection committee.
He has been omnipresent since Trump’s election victory, virtually taking up residence at Trump’s home in Mar-a-Lago Florida where the incoming president is mapping out the transition.
Musk and Amazon owner Jeff Bezos, a space race rival, dined with Trump on Wednesday evening at Mar-a-Lago.
Musk has not been formally named to Trump’s Cabinet but his expansive brief of cutting federal government spending has sparked conflict of interest concerns.
SpaceX, for example, depends for a large part on US government contracts.
Musk’s US$270 million in political donations during the November election cycle made him the largest political donor in US history.
But he shelled out far more for Twitter (since re-branded as X) in 2022, paying US$44 billion.
“It’s weird to think that Elon Musk will end up having paid far less for the United States Government than he did for Twitter,” joked George Conway, a conservative critic.
