How long will Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s lovefest last?

The bromance between Donald Trump and Elon Musk is one of the strangest outcomes of the 2024 presidential election cycle, with Musk stumping for Trump on the latter’s successful presidential campaign, and pushing Trump to voters through X, his social network. Postelection, the bromance has continued, with Musk sitting in on a call last week between Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The partnership is set to persist into the White House, with Trump announcing Musk as a co-head of a newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, (DOGE for short, a reference to the popular meme coin).

But how long can two combustible personalities peacefully co-exist alongside one another?

“It currently appears that Trump and Musk are now best friends with Trump seeming to rely on Musk’s council regarding various administration appointments,” says Steven Buckley, a lecturer in digital media sociology at City, University of London, who specializes in U.S. politics. “Musk is far more in need of Trump’s friendship than Trump is of Musk’s.”

The two share a number of qualities, says mental health expert and The Cult of Trump author Steven Hassan, who argues both men exhibit traits of “malignant narcissism”—a shared personality trait that prove tricky given Musk will be required to play second fiddle to the president. “As long as Musk kowtows in that framework, I see that as working,” says Hassan. How long Musk will play along, though, is another matter entirely.

Social media expert Matt Navarra points out that both Trump and Musk have a track record of fallouts with business partners or public officials—just look at Musk’s arguments with Brazil and the U.K. in recent months. “Ruffling feathers is probably a polite way to put it,” says Navarra. While the two men certainly share some views around innovation and wokeness, “their shared need for dominance could turn alignment into rivalry faster than anticipated,” Navarra says.

On the other hand, Navarra adds, both men know the stakes involved for their own reputations, and the mutual benefits their partnership can yield. “It might mean that the relationship lasts longer than people might initially expect it to, given the track record of both of these figures,” he says.

Still, one need only look at Trump’s own writing to see how distrustful he can be of his peers. “One of the problems when you become successful is that jealousy and envy inevitably follow,” the president-elect wrote in his 1987 business-advice book The Art of the Deal. Indeed, when two successful individuals try to share the limelight and the reins of power, toxicity can often ensue.

https://www.fastcompany.com/91228113/how-long-will-elon-musk-and-donald-trumps-lovefest-last?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss

Creată 5mo | 13 nov. 2024, 20:50:05


Autentifică-te pentru a adăuga comentarii

Alte posturi din acest grup

‘Somebody has to pay the cost’: Business owners break down tariff drama on social media

Founders and CEOs typically use social media to etch a human face onto their brand, forge a personal connection with potential customers, and put some pizzazz into product launches.

With

9 apr. 2025, 19:20:08 | Fast company - tech
Deepfake porn is a labor issue

Last month, First Lady Melania Trump used her first public remarks of President Trump’s second term to 

9 apr. 2025, 14:40:05 | Fast company - tech
Sparq wants drivers to be their own AI-powered mechanics

Cars are about to get a lot more expensive. This startup wants to make your

9 apr. 2025, 10:10:05 | Fast company - tech
DOGE is ditching this analog file storage system. That could spell bad news for data integrity

As Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) continues to reshape the U.S. government’s

9 apr. 2025, 10:10:04 | Fast company - tech
Why Amazon is doubling down on movie theaters

Amazon is betting big on movie theaters—even if it isn’t counting on mega profits.

The Silicon Valley giant

8 apr. 2025, 13:20:04 | Fast company - tech