Both the businessman and the elected president have previously spoken about Musk potentially taking one of the positions in Trump's administration. However, according to CNN, Musk will not hold a formal position but may become an advisor.
American businessman and the richest person in the world (with a net worth of $308 billion according to Forbes) Elon Musk may not receive a position in the administration of elected U.S. President Donald Trump, although his influence will significantly increase. This was reported by informed sources at CNN.
According to one of the channel's sources, although it was previously expected that Musk would take a position in the White House, he himself does not need it. CNN reminds that Musk was one of the few influential businessmen who publicly supported Trump, and now he is one of the Republican's close associates, participating in talks with world leaders and personnel decisions.
A source explained that Musk already has enough influence over the elected president, and he would prefer not to hold a formal position in the future administration, focusing instead on business projects. It is more likely that Musk will be appointed to one of the so-called 'Blue Ribbon' committees created to prepare recommendations for the authorities on controversial issues.
A CNN interlocutor noted that with such an appointment, Musk could avoid the requirements imposed on ordinary government officials, such as the sale of assets or transfer to a blind trust to avoid conflicts of interest.
Trump said in September that he intends to create a commission for government efficiency, which he would appoint Musk to lead. According to the former president, the entrepreneur agreed to head the body that will conduct a 'full financial and operational audit of the entire federal government' and develop a plan to eliminate 'fraud and improper payments.' Musk aimed to cut U.S. federal budget spending by $2 trillion.
Kevin Xu, founder of Interconnected Capital, suggested in a conversation with Bloomberg that Musk would become a key intermediary between the U.S. and China on many issues related to technology and trade. According to Derek Scissors, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, Musk is 'extremely pro-China,' and there is a certain pattern in the entrepreneur's relationship with Beijing, which the Chinese authorities will use to try to influence the Trump administration.
Musk himself announced on November 6 that in the new position in the Republican administration, if offered, he would seek to reduce the number of federal agencies. 'We have a giant bureaucracy, we have excessive regulation. We need to let America's builders build,' he explained.
