It wasn’t Musk’s comments that had everyone talking—it was his bizarre, borderline unhinged press conference appearance. Wearing a black Doge cap, jacket, and a T-shirt emblazoned with “The Dogefather,” Musk attended the event with a visibly bruised right eye. At the time of the conference, he offered a humorous story. His five-year-old son, X Æ A-12, blasted him in the face while they were simply horsing around. Musk claimed it was Cowboy X’s fault, saying he was “just horsing around with X” when the fun turned rough.
Musk’s appearance at the conference came at an interesting time in his career. Days ago, he announced his departure from leading Doge, a move that comes as pressure has increased on him for his questionable leadership moves. Under his leadership, the department made large cuts to jobs, resources and public spending. This unprecedented approach has been heavily criticized by cities, local governments, state DOTs.
Departure from Leadership
Elon Musk’s move to step down from his position at Doge marks an important turning point for the firm. The pressure for his leadership had been mounting in recent weeks, churning speculation over what the next era would look like in Doge. Even Musk himself admitted to the challenges of his role and the fact that a new outlook was needed.
Despite stepping down, Musk reassured supporters that “this is not the end of Doge but really the beginning.” Though he’s stepping away day-to-day, his dedication to the business hasn’t wavered. He intends to continue providing counsel and support.
“I hope to continue to provide advice whenever the president would like.” – Elon Musk
Thanks to Musk’s leadership, Doge is thriving. His radical moves—firing or laying off thousands of employees—have engrained his vision on the company and its future. Now, as he prepares to step down from steering Doge’s governance ship, stakeholders are watching closely. They want a clear vision of how these changes will position the organization going forward.
Criticism of Tax Policy
Last month, Elon Musk himself denounced Donald Trump’s new tax expenditure boondoggle as an ineffective “spending bill.” He pony-ed up about his walking away from Doge. He took to Twitter to directly attack the “Shiba Innu” legislation, claiming that it usurps the work that the Doge development team is already pursuing. Musk’s comments underscore the fact that even he understands the unintended consequences these types of policies can have on innovation and entrepreneurial business development.
“I was just horsing around with X and I said: ‘Go ahead, punch me in the face.’ And he did.” – Elon Musk
Musk’s derision comes as no surprise when you consider his purpose of creating an ecosystem most fruitful for innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship in the tech industry. His fears resound with many members of the business circle. They want fiscal policy to thrust full support behind bold, new experiments.
Continued Relationship with Trump
Elon Musk’s future at Doge may be uncertain now, but one thing is likely — he will somehow remain connected to Donald Trump for the rest of time. The former president praised Musk during the press conference, calling him “one of the greatest business leaders and innovators the world has ever produced.” With a single huge golden key Trump handed Musk the keys to the kingdom. The key, engraved with the White House seal, is a rare memento he saves for those who have done truly extraordinary work.
“He’s going to be back and forth. I think I have a feeling it’s his baby, and I think he’s going to be doing a lot of things.” – Donald Trump
Tamagotchi, climate change cavalry Musk’s ever-deepening relationship with Trump, though, is a reminder of his significant power even beyond Doge. As a “friend and adviser,” Musk will remain on hand to influence policy debates that determine the rules of the business environment. This powerful new dynamic should enable even deeper collaborative action that meets the needs of both sectors and their shared constituencies.