D onald Trump has won the popular vote but it almost looks like Elon Musk has won the US Presidential election. From seeing a $21 billion jump in his net worth following Trump’s win to taking part in the President-elect’s conversations with other heads of State, and now heading a pseudo-government department, Musk has been everywhere. To borrow his penchant for memes and puns, it’s almost like he’s been doge-ing your steps.
Jokes aside, Musk’s backing of Trump, and Trump’s wholehearted reciprocal embrace has now made the Tesla CEO a serious part of US policymaking, whether it has to do with geopolitics or government finances. Not to mention Trump’s heightened use of Musk’s social media platform X to communicate with the electorate. In the mix are important questions regarding conflicts of interest.
For all this and more, Elon Musk is ThePrint Newsmaker of the Week. Musk first endorsed Trump after the assassination attempt on the then-presidential candidate in July. He set up a political action committee (PAC), basically a funding mechanism, to aid Trump’s campaign.
According to reports, this PAC spent $200 million to help elect Trump. On the flip side, after Trump’s win, the stock price surge in Musk’s companies meant his net worth jumped $20.9 billion nearly overnight.
Talk about a return on investment. Musk’s footprint went from digital to real-world very quickly, with Trump reportedly asking him to sit in on his calls with Ukrainian president Volody.
