Musk vows to stay Trump's 'friend'

Billionaire Elon Musk bade farewell to Donald Trump in an extraordinary Oval Office appearance Friday, sporting a black eye, brushing aside drug abuse claims and vowing to stay a “friend and advisor” to the US president.

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As the world’s richest person bowed out of his role as Mr Trump's cost-cutter-in-chief, the Republican hailed Mr Musk'’s “incredible service” and handed him a golden key to the White House.

But Mr Trump insisted that Mr Musk was “really not leaving” after a turbulent four months in which his Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) cut tens of thousands of jobs, shuttered whole agencies and slashed foreign aid.

“He’s going to be back and forth,” said Mr Trump, showering praise on the tech tycoon for what he called the “most sweeping and consequential government reform programme in generations”.