Elon Musk, went out together with the newly elected President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, immediately after the election, with the assurance that the winning candidate himself showed.
"The public has given us a mandate that could not be clearer than that. The people spoke. The people want change," Mr. Musk told an audience of Mr. Trump's biggest donors and campaign managers.
"We will shake things up. We will make a revolution", he added, according to A2.
Mr. Musk's connection with Mr. Trump has created an alliance between America's most powerful politician and its richest businessman. A nearly equal percentage of Americans have positive views of each, according to a new poll by the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the AP news agency.
Experts are divided on whether this is a good or bad thing for Mr. Musk's businesses, or for Mr. Trump's politics.
But this could have far-reaching effects in both spheres.
Mr. Musk, whose fortune reaches $400 billion, oversees six businesses while continuing to work closely with Mr. Trump among them: electric car maker Tesla, social media platform X, space technology company SpaceX', the company 'Neuralink', which aims to help people with paralysis communicate through their thoughts, thanks to devices implanted in their brains, the company 'xAI', with a mission to advance scientific discovery and to gain a deeper understanding of the universe through artificial intelligence, as well as the company 'The Boring Co' that builds safe and low-cost tunnels to transport goods services.
"Although there is a negative impact, which may lead to the alienation of some customers who may not be supporters of Mr. Trump, the benefits will be greater than the losses, when it comes to having a position as the arm of right next to Mr. Trump in the White House," says Dan Ives, an analyst at financial services company Wedbush Securities.
Ross Gerber, CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth and Investment Management, says he is an investor in Musk's Tesla.
He owns a Tesla 'Cybertruck' car, which has received a lot of attention but has also been subject to safety concerns.
"Having a CEO who doesn't work for the company you've invested in who will be tasked with firing government employees ... as a shareholder, as an investor, I'm paying for someone not to work for the company in which I invested", he said, calling this something unfair.
But despite his skepticism, Mr. Gerber says he will continue to invest in Mr. Musk's businesses.
"I made a lot of money with Elon," he said. "I have not entered into investments based on the popularity of the executive director".
Support for Mr. Musk is almost equal to that of Mr. Trump
Mr. Musk does not seem to help Mr. Trump with that category of people who do not support the incoming president.
He is no more popular among Americans than the president-elect himself, and about half of Americans do not support either him or Mr. Trump, according to the poll.
About 40 percent of Americans have a somewhat or very favorable view of the world's richest person, very similar to the percentage who support Mr. Trump.
Likewise, about half of American adults have a somewhat or very unfavorable view of Mr. Musk — again similar to Mr. Trump's support.
According to a political expert, Mr. Musk is the ideal person to prove to Mr. Trump the image he has cultivated for himself as a successful businessman, who is filling his cabinet or has selected billionaire businessmen as key advisers.
"Mr. Trump has always promoted the image of a very successful businessman. Having Musk with him reinforces this image, that he is the right person for the economy, good for everyone to make money," says Christine Matthews, of which deals with national surveys and has worked for the Republicans.
Mr. Musk also owns Company X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, which he turned into a megaphone for conservative ideas.
After spending about $250 million to support Mr. Trump in the election, Mr. Musk has signaled that he is willing to support Republican congressional races in 2026, which coincide with the president's midterms.
Mr. Trump has tasked him with leading a group that will deal with shrinking the federal government and federal regulations.
Musk and the businesses he owns
Tesla is expected to secure significant profits under the Trump administration, which has threatened to remove subsidies for alternative energy and electric vehicles, which would hurt Tesla's smaller competitors more. Also, Mr. Trump's plans for large tariffs on Chinese imports make it less likely that Chinese electric cars will be sold wholesale in the United States in the near future.
Some analysts believe the billionaire's role will serve to create a very friendly climate for Tesla in the coming years.
Mr. Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, said Mr. Musk's relationship with Mr. Trump could "revolutionize the Tesla story, especially around robotics, artificial intelligence or driverless cars."
Investors, he said, are optimistic about Mr. Musk and see his rise to politics as a special occasion worth celebrating.
Unlike Mr. Gerber, Mr. Ives believes that eliminating up to $7,000 in tax credits for individuals who buy an electric car and removing subsidies for American automakers, Hyundai and other companies, will create opportunities. for Tesla.
Tesla shares hit a record high on Tuesday. Many of the company's recent gains were recorded after Mr Trump's victory.
But Mr. Gerber thinks the increase happened because investors believe Tesla will have an advantage when it comes to autonomous, driverless cars, since Mr. Trump can grant the company a national license.
However, he thinks Tesla will be the "big loser" among Mr Musk's businesses because of Mr Trump's promise to end the tax benefit for buying an electric car.
Mr Musk's other companies - including one related to artificial intelligence 'xAI' - could enjoy the positive results or advantages of the billionaire's work with the Trump administration, he said.
"Artificial intelligence is a transformative investment that will require the adoption of many regulations, especially around security and information," Mr. Gerber said, adding that it favors Mr. Musk being "where he is."
The relationship between Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk is unique in the history of the country, said David Nasaw, biographer of two American business magnates, Andrew Carnegie and William Randolph Hearst.
He points out that the success of Mr. Musk, unlike that of other tycoons, has been based on subsidies and government decisions that have been in favor of his businesses, from the company 'Tesla' to 'SpaceX'.
"He's a rare person," Mr. Nasaw said, referring to Mr. Musk./Voice of America (A2 Televizion)
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