Elon Musk performs many roles with President-elect Donald Trump. He’s Trump’s most vital donor, most influential social media promoter and a key adviser. For more often than not since Election Day, he has additionally been Trump’s tenant.
Musk has been utilizing one of many cottages obtainable for hire on Trump’s property at Mar-a-Lago, the previous Marjorie Merriweather Publish dwelling in Florida that Trump transformed right into a members-only membership and resort in Nineties, in line with two sources.The cottage the place he has been staying, named Banyan, is a number of hundred ft away from the principle home, in line with an individual who is aware of the property.
Staying proper on the grounds has helped give Musk with easy accessibility to Trump. He can drop in on Trump’s dinners, reminiscent of one he had lately with Musk’s rival, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Musk, who spent greater than 1 / 4 of a billion {dollars} within the ultimate months of this 12 months’s election cycle to assist elect Trump, has attended personnel conferences within the Mar-a-Lago Teahouse, sat in on calls with international leaders and spent hours with Trump in his workplace.
Musk isn’t the one member of the president-elect’s inside circle who has been bunking on Trump’s property. Vice-President-elect JD Vance has stayed in one of many cottages at Mar-a-Lago when he has been in Palm Seashore and has been there regularly through the transition, an individual with data of his stays stated. And others are stated to have used cottages since Election Day. However few have been as omnipresent as Musk.
Trump has bragged to folks that Musk – the world’s richest man – is “renting” one of many residential areas at Mar-a-Lago. It’s unclear how a lot Musk will find yourself paying for the cottage, which traditionally has rented for at the least $2,000 an evening. Officers on the membership don’t usually invoice friends till the tip of keep, leaving open the chance that Trump will select to not cost Musk, or to cut back the dimensions of his invoice. However Trump isn’t recognized to shrink back from revenue alternatives.
Musk moved into the cottage round Election Day and watched the returns at Mar-a-Lago with Trump. He left the property round Christmas and has been anticipated to return within the coming days. On Friday, in a publish on Reality Social that appeared supposed as a personal communication to Musk, Trump wrote: “The place are you? When are you coming to the ‘Heart of the Universe,’ Mar-a-Lago. Invoice Gates requested to come back, tonight. We miss you and x! New Yr’s Eve goes to be AMAZING!!! DJT.”
A few of Trump’s advisers have privately griped about how a lot affect Musk has had on the transition and the way inseparable he’s from the president-elect. Musk is unlikely to have such unfettered bodily entry to Trump after the president-elect is sworn in on Jan. 20 in Washington. Coming and going within the West Wing is extra onerous than at Trump’s personal golf equipment, as is entry to the White Home residence.
