Are Trump and Elon Musk Friends Again?

Summary

Mario Parker discusses the current professional nature of the Trump-Elon Musk relationship, noting that the close personal ties seen earlier have cooled. He highlights SpaceX's IPO, the financial exposure of at least ten administration officials to the listing, and Musk's expected but uncertain level of political spending ahead of the midterms.

• Trump and Musk now have a more typical CEO-president relationship, less personal than in 2024-2025.
• Sources say Musk and Trump still speak regularly but the sleepovers and Oval Office visits are over.
• SpaceX launched a major IPO; about ten U.S. officials disclosed holdings ranging from $9.3 million to $40 million.
• Some official holdings may have been sold since the disclosures, limiting visibility into current enrichment.
• Musk spent $291 million on the 2024 presidential election to support Trump.
• Trump's midterm war chest exceeds $1 billion; Musk is expected to deploy some capital but has not been as active so far.
• Musk previously backed Ron DeSantis in the 2022/2023 presidential primary.