The euphoria of the victory of November 5 has not yet subsided when already strong tensions are being felt at Mar-a-Lago (Florida). According to several American media, the omnipresence of Elon Musk alongside Donald Trump is causing many people to cringe in the president-elect’s entourage. And last week, this latent annoyance degenerated into a “huge argument” in the billionaire’s residence. The protagonists? Elon Musk, of course, and Boris Epshteyn, long-time advisor to the future president.
According to Axios, the entrepreneur and the lawyer got into an argument in the middle of dinner in a Mar-a-Lago reception room, in front of stunned guests. It all started when, during a high-tension discussion, Elon Musk accused Boris Epshteyn of having leaked information to the media regarding the formation of the future government. The lawyer reportedly replied that he did not know what his interlocutor was talking about. It is unclear whether the president-elect was present during the incident, described as “a huge explosion.”
Donald Trump’s transition team and Elon Musk declined to comment on the matter. Epshteyn also kicked in. People who have been frequenting Mar-a-Lago since the election are not surprised by this spectacular spat. Several sources have in fact confided to Axios that relatives and advisers of Donald Trump had “felt the tension rising” between the two men during meetings. In particular, it seems that Boris Epshteyn was offended by Elon Musk’s questions regarding the qualifications of candidates for positions within the government.
The richest man in the world has been appointed to head a commission called to cut public spending. But disagreements on substantive issues and the personalities of the two men could cause a stir in the budding romance between Elon Musk and Donald Trump. Here’s where it could get stuck:
Elon Musk is known for his obsession with work and claims a “hardcore” management style. He does not hesitate to make rapid dismissals or to insult the intelligence of his employees in public. Donald Trump, whose catchphrase has long been “you’re fired” when he presented the show “The Apprentice”, expects absolute loyalty from those close to him, not hesitating to pit them against each other, according to former advisers.
“Climate change is real. Leaving (the) Paris Agreement is not good for America or the world,” Elon Musk wrote on Twitter in 2017. Since then, he has qualified his remarks. Openly climate skeptic, Trump should once again withdraw his country from this agreement aimed at limiting warming.
Musk made part of his fortune from the sale of electric cars, but he also invested in the development of batteries and solar panels when Trump focused on the fossil fuel sector.
Trump threatens to drastically increase customs duties on Chinese products, at the risk of provoking a new trade war with Beijing. However, China is a major market for Tesla.
Known for ruthlessly cutting spending at his own companies, Musk has been tasked with reducing those of the federal government. But reducing costs could prove easier said than done, with some Republican elected officials having already expressed reluctance to reverse programs useful to their re-election.
The risk of conflict of interest is great in the tech sector, with Musk accumulating rivalries in Silicon Valley.
