Money talks Is the world's richest man now Trump's shadow vice-president?

A S DONALD TRUMP WATCHED election results roll in from a party at his Mar-aLago compound, Elon Musk sat arm's length away, basking in the impending victory he had helped secure. In less than five months, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO had gone from not endorsing a candidate to becoming a fixture of the presidentelect's inner circle.

- Nick Robins-Early

"The future is gonna be so Musk posted to his social media platform, X, just after midnight, along with a photo of himself leaning over to talk with Trump at the Mar-a-Lago dinner.

Musk's place at the head table was the result of months of political efforts by the world's richest man, and an injection of at least $130m of his own money. Musk campaigned for Trump both online and offline, funded advertising and get-out-the-vote operations. He even temporarily decamped from his home in Texas to the swing state of Pennsylvania, where he held a $1m daily giveaway for voters.

Musk wasn't the only billionaire rooting for Trump. But unlike some of his peers, who preferred operating in the shadows, shielded by Super Pacs and meetings behind closed doors, he became Trump's most visible surrogate. And now, gambling on becoming one of Trump's most vocal and deeppocketed supporters has won Musk direct influence and access to the nation's highest office, making him not only the world's richest man but also one of its most politically powerful.