Musk, the world’s wealthiest person, has been at the centre of Trump’s re-election bid, showering the Republican campaign with funds and urging his 200m followers on X, formerly Twitter, to support him.
Musk and Trump have discussed a potential role for the billionaire in the administration running a “Department of Government Efficiency”, or “Doge”, which would be charged with slashing spending and federal bureaucracy.
The Tesla chief has frequently sounded the alarm about illegal immigration and “woke” ideology, while also advocating for slashing red tape.
He has said his longer-term vision includes sending humans to Mars, launching millions of driverless cars on to the road and installing chips in people’s skulls to merge humans with artificial intelligence – all of which he has a financial stake in, and which he believes have been threatened by government meddling.
Already, Musk has reportedly suggested that SpaceX employees could fill roles at the Department of Defense.