Unconventional cabinet: Trump returns with billionaire allies
"The return of the king," wrote Elon Musk on the platform X. He illustrated his short post with screenshots showing how Donald Trump's account has changed on the social media platform.
"The return of the king" was Elon Musk's comment on the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States, posted on platform X.
The cabinet and political entourage of the 47th President of the United States will be among the most unconventional in history. Among the ministers, advisers, and ambassadors appointed by Trump, there are at least 13 billionaires, 10 people known from television and entertainment, and many long-time associates of Trump.
Among Trump's closest associates is the richest man in the world, Elon Musk. The founder of SpaceX, head of Tesla, and platform X, who has allocated over £81 million to the president's election campaign, quickly became an inseparable companion of Trump. Critics have nicknamed Musk "President Musk," while he jokingly calls himself the "First Buddy."
Although Musk will not formally serve a role in the government, he, along with another billionaire and former Trump rival, Vivek Ramaswamy, will head the DOGE advisory committee, which is tasked with developing proposals for a radical reduction of the federal budget and administration. But Musk's influence extends far beyond administrative reforms. The billionaire, who is on track to become the world's first trillionaire, is involved in politics in Congress and, according to media reports, also in informal diplomacy and personnel selection.
Among Trump's appointees are at least 10 former business partners of Musk and his ex-partner from PayPal, Peter Thiel. They include "AI czar" David Sacks, as well as future ambassador to Denmark Ken Howery, who will be entrusted with negotiations regarding Greenland.
