Elon Musk is reportedly staying in a cottage at President-elect Donald Trump’s estate that rents for $2,000 a day.
The world’s richest man, who holds substantial government contracts and appears to have spent more than a quarter of a billion dollars to get Trump and his surrogates elected to office, has been a Trump tenant since the presidential election in November, according to the New York Times. How much he’s paying for the space wasn’t reported. Billing usually comes when a visitor checks out.
By planting himself in a cottage, which is reportedly named Banyan, Musk reportedly lives a short walk from Trump’s home and gives him easy access to the 78-year-old Republican leader. Musk’s personal worth before Trump was elected to office last month was a little over $260 billion. He’s now worth around $430 billion, according to Forbes.
Having easy access to Trump and Mar-a-Lago has allowed Musk to drop in on meetings the incoming commander-in-chief is hosting. That included a recent dinner Trump had with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos — the world’s second-richest man — that the Times said Musk wasn’t expected to attend.
Last week, Trump appeared to ask Musk where he and his son X were while telling the 53-year-old kingmaker he could be missing out on country club functions with other billionaires.
“Where are you?” Trump posted on his social media platform. “When are you coming to the ‘Center of the Universe,’ Mar-a-Lago. Bill Gates asked to come, tonight. We miss you and x! New Year’s Eve is going to be AMAZING!!!”
Trump has asked the South African entrepreneur to work with fellow billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy to form a department that monitors government spending.
An October report by House Democrats on the Committee on Oversight and Accountability found several instances where Trump appeared to profit from guests with personal and professional ties staying at his properties. One individual who got a presidential pardon from the President-elect during his previous stint in the White House reportedly spent $15,000 in Trump’s Washington, D.C., hotel in late 2017 and early 2018.
