"This year opened with the businessman turned political operator throwing what appeared, to Nazis at least, to be a Sieg heil. This spring, activists frequently congregated outside the showrooms of his automaker, Tesla, to protest his foray into the US federal government and cozy relationship with President Trump. They argued that his so-called Department of Government Efficiency, a cost-slashing operation named after a more than decade-old internet meme, didn't slash much beyond foreign aid. They cheered as Tesla missed Wall Street's financial expectations."
"In May, Musk blew up his relationship with the most powerful man on Earth with a few vicious posts on X; the most powerful man on Earth called him a "TRAIN WRECK." Tesla kept leaking money. DOGE fell victim to Washington infighting; it is now reportedly decentralized and a shadow of the Musk personal fiefdom it once was. And yet: It seems Elon Musk is getting out of 2025 OK?"
Elon Musk's political engagement with the Trump administration and provocative social-media behavior provoked protests and strained powerful relationships, contributing to Tesla's missed financial expectations and cash losses. The so-called Department of Government Efficiency implemented limited cuts, mainly affecting foreign aid. Musk's public break with President Trump and ensuing headlines coincided with further pressure on Tesla and attenuation of DOGE amid Washington infighting and decentralization. Significant portions of Musk's wealth are tied to private ventures such as SpaceX, xAI, and Neuralink, which diversified his holdings and insulated his net worth from public-market volatility.
Read at WIRED
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