More than dosti? Elon Musk in Trump family's victory photo

New Delhi,UPDATED: Nov 7, 2024 11:04 IST

After Donald Trump’s triumphant victory in the presidential election, his granddaughter Kai Trump posted a celebratory family photo that has caused a buzz—not for who was missing, but for who was present: Elon Musk.

The billionaire Tesla and SpaceX CEO, holding his son X Æ A-12, stood on the edge of the Trump family circle, a placement that seemed both subtle and symbolic. Meanwhile, Trump’s wife Melania was conspicuous by her absence.

Kai captioned the photo, "The whole squad," sparking speculation that Musk, who emerged as Trump’s biggest backer during the election cycle, is practically family now to the President-elect.

Musk was a fixture at Trump’s election night party at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. When not busy firing off tweets as the results rolled in, he was seen mingling with guests, often with his four-year-old son on his shoulders. The tech mogul not only retweeted Kai’s post but also posted a photo of himself with Trump and little X, captioned "Novus Ordo Seclorum," a Latin phrase meaning "a new order of the ages."

During his victory speech, Trump praised Musk in glowing terms, describing him as a "special guy" and a "super genius".

"We have a new star. A star is born—Elon. He is an amazing guy," he said. "We have to protect our geniuses; we don’t have that many of them."

Musk, who publicly endorsed Trump after an attempt on his life in July, donated more than $100 million to support the 78-year-old Republican’s re-election bid, aggressively campaigned in swing states, and took to his social media platform, X, to attack opponents and rally support.

Trump reciprocated this support by promising to create a new "government efficiency" position in his administration, with Musk at the helm. On the campaign trail, Trump described Musk's potential role as 'Secretary of Cost-Cutting', a position the business tycoon has expressed willingness to take on.

The alliance between Musk and Trump is not without its strategic benefits for the billionaire. According to a Reuters report, Musk's investment in Trump's campaign is part of a broader effort to shield his companies from regulation and secure access to government subsidies.

With Trump all set to return to the White House four years after his 2020 defeat, Musk's deepening relationship with the President-elect bodes well for him and his businesses, which could stand to gain from the administration's policies and initiatives.