What Trump's re-election means for Elon Musk

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk gestures as he steps on stage during a rally for former U.S. President and then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in New York on Oct. 27 | AFP-JIJI

by DANA HULL
November 7, 2024

No billionaire did more to help Donald Trump win the U.S. presidential election than Elon Musk. The Tesla and SpaceX boss will now find out whether it pays off, or if he ends up getting burned.

Musk, whose growing political apparatus has already proved its mettle, will gain more than just an ally in the White House. Trump has vowed to give him an official role cutting government spending — and with it, the power to influence policy and the federal agencies that oversee his vast empire of companies.

"He’s a character. He’s a special guy. He’s a super genius," Trump said of Musk while addressing his supporters overnight. "We have to protect our geniuses. We don’t have that many of them."