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Elon Musk went from dismissing Donald Trump as "nuts" to becoming his biggest backer.
The tech tycoon was initially reluctant to support Trump in 2016, but things changed once he saw the president’s "bulls---" skills and realized he could seize the opportunity to elevate his unstoppable empire, Knewz.com can reveal.
In his biography Elon Musk, author Walter Isaacson – who spent two years shadowing and interviewing Musk for the book – described how the mogul had been backing the Democratic Party before making his dramatic shift to the opposing side.
Isaacson wrote of Musk: "Like many techies, he was liberal on social issues but with a dollop of libertarian resistance to regulations and political correctness.
"He contributed to the presidential campaigns of Barack Obama and then Hillary Clinton, and he was a vocal critic of Donald Trump in the 2016 election."
Isaacson recalled how Musk even said of Trump at the time: "He doesn’t seem to have the sort of character that reflects well on the United States."
After Trump's win, the tech mogul became cautiously optimistic – hoping he might govern as an independent rather than a far-right figure.
Isaacson recalled Musk saying: "I thought that maybe some of the crazier stuff he said during the campaign was just a performance and he would land in a more sensible place."
Encouraged by his friend Peter Thiel, Musk agreed to join a December 2016 meeting in New York with tech CEOs and the president.
Musk then met privately with Trump to assess his leadership, where Trump joked about receiving a Tesla he never drove and expressed interest in revitalizing NASA – which baffled the entrepreneur.
Isaacson wrote: "Musk thought the meeting was odd, but he found Trump to be friendly. 'He seems kind of nuts,' he said afterward, 'but he may turn out okay.'"
Trump told CNBC’s Joe Kernen he was impressed by Musk, particularly his rocket work, and compared him to historical geniuses like Edison.
For Musk's part, the billionaire started to realize how Trump as president was no different from his campaign persona; the buffoonery wasn’t just an act.
He even compared Trump to his father, noting his clever ability to "bull----" people.
Isaacson wrote: "He concluded that Trump as president was no different than he was as a candidate. The buffoonery was not just an act.
"'Trump might be one of the world’s best bull-------s ever,' he says. 'Like my dad. Bull-------- can sometimes baffle the brain. If you just think of Trump as sort of a con-man performance, then his behavior sort of makes sense.'"
After Joe Biden assumed office, the tech mogul continued to harbor a "deep disdain" for Trump – whom he regarded as a con man, the writer revealed.
That was one of the reasons Musk initially agreed Trump should be removed from Twitter, though he was later reinstated in 2022.
Still, the SpaceX founder told Isaacson: "I’m not Trump’s fan. He’s disruptive. He's the world’s champion of b-------."
Yet during Trump's 2024 campaign rally, Musk was by the Republican's side the entire time – despite his former aversion.
Their incredibly close bond over the past year has raised eyebrows, and Musk has denied any direct political favor exchange with Trump – despite financing his campaign and promoting misinformation on his social media platform, X.
But theories over their relationship have been swirling as Musk continues to portray himself as a political centrist aiming to improve the world.
On Wall Street, some view Musk’s support of Trump as a strategic move to expand his empire – as Tesla’s stock has boosted significantly, as per The New Yorker.
Tesla's market value rose by nearly $50 billion post-election, benefiting from potential favorable policies under a second Trump administration, especially for Musk's other ventures like SpaceX and Starlink – which rely on federal contracts.
Musk also sees Trump's stance on tariffs and EV credits as advantageous for Tesla's dominance.
The tech mogul's push for autonomous vehicle regulation – particularly at the federal level – could accelerate Tesla's ambitions, though it's been complicated by state-level regulation and safety investigations.
Tariffs on Chinese imports could help Tesla by reducing competition, although it might raise some costs unless Musk gets special treatment, similar to Apple's.
Additionally, Musk’s influence over Trump could extend to policy decisions, like the choice for Treasury Secretary.
Furthermore, Musk's promotion of Dogecoin has profited from Trump's victory, with the cryptocurrency’s value skyrocketing post-election.
Trump's mention of a Department of Government Efficiency, with the acronym "DOGE," seemed to benefit Musk’s crypto holdings – adding another layer to their financial and political relationship.