America has spoken, and Season 2 of the Donald Trump Presidency is underway. Trump's cabinet is forming, with the announcement that Elon Musk and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will head a new "Department of Government Efficiency." This acronym, DOGE, is a nod to Musk's beloved cryptocurrency, dogecoin. You couldn't script this stuff.
Trump stated that Musk and Ramaswamy will "clear the path for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, reduce excessive regulations, cut wasteful spending, and restructure Federal Agencies." It seems unlikely that Musk will take a formal cabinet role, as he would need to divest from his businesses like Tesla and X, which he is unlikely to do. Nonetheless, this indicates Musk will play a significant role in Trump's presidency.
Given Musk's alignment with Trump and his rhetoric, this isn't surprising. He's donated at least $130 million to Trump and Republicans, allowed Trump back on X, and frequently appears at his rallies. Musk has even spent post-election time with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, participating in calls with world leaders, including President Zelenskyy. As he deepens his involvement, it's clear Musk will wield significant influence. Future VP JD Vance might not be thrilled about this power shift.
For some, this is great news; for others, deeply troubling, considering Musk's divisive nature. Many view him as a genius and futurist, a self-taught programmer who sold his first game at 12 and became one of the world's richest men. Essentially, a real-life Tony Stark. On the flip side, he's seen as a poor man's Lex Luthor, an influence-obsessed megalomaniac known for trolling and sexist jokes, revealing a dangerous man-child who thrives on controversy and spreads falsehoods and conspiracies online. He dreams of colonizing Mars by 2029, a year many hope will see him leave Earth for good.
There's little middle ground when it comes to Musk. Known for his outspokenness, much is already known about him. But did you know... Musk cites Douglas Adams' "The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy" and Isaac Asimov’s "Foundation" as favorite books, shaping his views on technology and exploration. He's also a huge X-Men fan, naming Tesla’s assembly robots after X-Men characters and enjoying seeing his face on screens. Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Tony Stark in Iron Man was partially inspired by Musk, who made a cameo in Iron Man 2. He's also appeared in movies like Machete Kills and sitcoms like The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon, and voiced himself in animated shows like The Simpsons, South Park, and Rick and Morty.
In 2013, Musk bought the Lotus Esprit car from The Spy Who Loved Me, the one that transforms into a submarine. Disappointed to learn it couldn't actually transform, he joked about upgrading it. Musk is a fan of Dungeons and Dragons and first-person shooter games like Fallout and Mass Effect. He claimed to be one of the top 20 players in the world for Diablo 4, though this was debunked. Musk's obsession with the letter 'X' is well-known, from X.com to SpaceX and xAI. He even named his scent "Burnt Hair," which sold out for $100, making him over $1 million in hours.
Musk's sister, Tosca Musk, is CEO of Passionflix, adapting romance novels and erotic fan fiction for the screen. She directs some films and focuses on empowering women through sexuality. Musk has 11 children, six with ex-wife Justine Wilson, three with Grimes, and two with Shivon Zilis. Tragically, his firstborn son died from SIDS at 10 weeks. His children's names are unconventional, like X Æ A-12, which was later changed to X A-Xii. Musk publicly offered to donate $6 billion to the UN World Food Programme but never followed through, instead buying Twitter for $44 billion.
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