Trump has tapped Musk to run an unofficial government department that will seek to slash public spending. Reports have surfaced about Trump allies being unhappy with Musk’s presence at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago base, attendance at transition meetings, and what appears to be his growing influence on the returning president of the United States.

How much influence will Elon Musk have in the coming administration? How much influence will Twitter, the service Musk owns and renamed X, have? This is a case where predictions don't do us a lot of good.

With Elon Musk as his government efficiency chief, President-elect Donald Trump has made a surprise turn to fiscal sustainability. It won't be easy.