How Trump and Musk are still linked - despite falling out
The feud between two of the world's most powerful billionaires shows no sign of ending after the US president claimed on Friday that the richest man in the world had "lost his mind".
Even though observers have long speculated that Donald Trump and Elon Musk would eventually fall out, few predicted the speed and ferocity with which their social media beef erupted.
A phone call that was reportedly due to happen on Friday didn't, and Trump is reportedly considering selling the red Tesla that he purchased from Musk's company in March. Their falling out over US government spending could have far-reaching implications for American industry.
Since Musk pledged his full-throated for the president following an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania less than a year ago, the political and business interests of the two men have become increasingly intertwined.
In several key areas - including political funding, government contracts and their personal relationships - the two men have come to rely on each other, meaning ending the alliance is likely to be messy.
That complicates the fallout from their rift and ensures that, wherever the row goes from here, they will continue to be linked – and have the potential to hurt each other in multiple ways.
Campaign funding
Over the course of the last year, Musk's donations to Trump and other Republicans have been enormous – totalling $290m (£214m) according to the campaign finance tracking site Open Secrets.
Musk claimed on Thursday that the president won the election because of him, and complained about "ingratitude".
There's an obvious counterexample. Earlier this year Musk shovelled $20m into a key judicial race in Wisconsin, however, his chosen Republican candidate lost by 10 percentage points in a state Trump won last November.
Still, Musk's donations are a huge chunk of money that Republicans will miss as they try to hold their congressional advantage in the midterm elections in November 2026.
It may have been a problem they were facing in any case. Musk has previously said he would contribute a "lot less" to campaigns in the future.
But could the bust-up with the White House prompt Musk not just to withdraw but throw his money behind opposition to Trump?
He hinted as such on Thursday when he posted a poll on X with the question: "Is it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle"Image shows a demonstrator hitting a Waymo self-driving car with his skateboard during a protest against federal immigration sweeps, in downtown Los Angeles on 8 June 2025 " class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/>
