Elon Musk has picked up the unwanted moniker of ‘first lady’ on his social media platform X as he continues to cosy up with the president-elect.
According to reports, the Tesla billionaire is spending “nearly every day” with Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
He has been spotted dining with him on the patio and joining him on the golf course, even though he doesn’t play the sport.
CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins says he has also been in the room when world leaders call Trump and has been weighing in on staffing decisions – making clear his preference for certain roles.
“While Musk himself is still not expected to take any kind of formal position, given how complicated it would be with his companies, what’s becoming clearer tonight is that he doesn’t really need to – with one source telling me Elon Musk is having just as much influence from the outside”, she said.
In a separate CNN broadcast on Sunday morning, veteran tech journalist Kara Swisher said that Trump insiders were confused and unnerved by the extent of Musk’s influence.
“He definitely inserts himself all the time; that’s his style. That’s why he’s just suddenly shown up there like the guest that wouldn’t leave,” she said
“I’ve heard from Trump people calling me saying ‘oh wow, this is odd.’ And I’m like yeah it is, you’ll see much more of it.
“But he’s not going anywhere until Trump throws him out. Which could happen, because they’re both really strong personalities who like to be at the centre of attention.”
In the meantime, people have been referring to Musk as the first lady on X. Here’s a pick of the best posts:
Related: How Musk used X to get Trump elected – and then cashed in on the result