Elon Musk becomes ‘First Buddy’, gets ‘uncle’ status in Donald Trump’s family

Billionaire Elon Musk said he is "happy to be first buddy" to US President-elect Donald Trump. His remarks came in response to a comment during a discussion broadcast on TV on Tuesday that “...Musk is becoming like first buddy; he’s hanging around, foreign leaders call, Trump puts him on the phone with them.”

Meanwhile, the Washington Post stated that Musk has emerged somewhere between unofficial co-president and 'first buddy'", keeping in view all that the Tesla, SpaceX and X owner has been up to after the announcement of the US Presidential election.

Musk has been attending meetings, participating in phone calls, and weighing résumés. The world's richest man has already been given the task to head the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), along with Republican leader Vivek Ramaswamy.

According to reports, Musk was present with Donald Trump when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated him on his presidential election victory last week. Trump and Musk were at Mar-a-Lago, Trump's Palm Beach residence and club, when the call took place, the New York Times reported.

Musk reportedly joined Trump in calls with the leaders of Turkey and Ukraine, where Musk's Starlink has provided a vital source of communication during the war. He also has taken to X while advising Trump to back efforts to defeat Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Musk also accompanied Trump on Wednesday as the president-elect attended a meeting with Republican lawmakers, Reuters reported. Meanwhile, the Washington Post quoted sources as saying that Musk "has ensconced himself at Mar-a-Lago, appearing at the club almost daily to cavort with Trump and has as much influence as he wants."

Musk, trading his Silicon Valley bro sweatshirts for a crisp and somber black suit, was given a front-row seat among Republican House lawmakers who gathered to hear the president-elect, news agency AFP reported. 

"Elon, you've been so good," Trump said, as the elected representatives offered Musk a standing ovation, according to footage posted by a congressman.

Elon Musk gets 'uncle' status

Tech billionaire Elon Musk earned "uncle" status in the Trump family, as he increasingly spends time at Mar-a-Lago.

"Elon achieving uncle status," Kai Trump, the president-elect’s granddaughter, posted to X over the weekend. She also shared a pictures that showed her with Musk and his young son on the golf course.

Musk's 'mythical aura'

A New York Times report described an incident to suggest that "Musk has assumed an almost mythical aura" in Donald Trump’s inner circle. "At Mar-a-Lago one recent evening, he walked into the dining room about 30 minutes after the president-elect did and received a similar standing ovation," the NYT quoted sources as saying.

Musk reportedly spent most of the last week at Mar-a-Lago, joining not just interviews but almost every meeting and many meals that Donald Trump has had.

The billionaire entrepreneur has often been present during meetings when Donald Trump and his team are discussing Cabinet positions and has joined some of Trump’s meetings with Cabinet wannabes, the Washington Post claimed. “He’s sitting in meetings,” said one Trump adviser. “He’s there all the time," the person was quoted as saying.

The New York Times also reported that the world’s richest person has ascended to a position of "extraordinary, unofficial influence in Trump’s transition process". It said Musk is "playing a role that makes him indisputably America’s most powerful private citizen."

The report described an incident to suggest that "Musk has assumed an almost mythical aura" in Donald Trump’s inner circle. "At Mar-a-Lago one recent evening, he walked into the dining room about 30 minutes after the president-elect did and received a similar standing ovation," the NYT quoted sources as saying.

An adviser reportedly claimed that Musk has already begun annoying some Trump advisers and confidants who have been in the president-elect’s orbit far longer.

Musk emerged as one of the most influential people endorsing Trump in the 2024 presidential elections. He gave millions of dollars to support Trump's presidential campaign and made public appearances with him.