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Billionaire Elon Musk bade farewell to Donald Trump in an extraordinary Oval Office appearance Friday in which he sported a black eye, brushed aside drug abuse claims and vowed to stay a “friend and advisor” to the US president.
As the world’s richest person bowed out of his role as the US government’s cost-cutter-in-chief, Trump hailed Musk’s “incredible service” and handed him a golden key to the White House.
“Today it’s about a man named Elon,” Trump said at a joint press conference with the tech tycoon marking his final day as head of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Trump said Musk would still be “coming and going” from the White House after a turbulent four months in which DOGE cut tens of thousands of jobs, shuttered whole agencies and slashed foreign aid.
Musk, wearing a black T-shirt with the word “Dogefather” in white lettering and a black DOGE baseball cap, said “I look forward to continuing to be a friend and advisor to the president.”
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Many people’s eyes were on the livid black bruise around Musk’s right eye.
Speculation about the cause was further fueled by accusations in the New York Times Friday that Musk used so much of the drug ketamine on the 2024 campaign trail that he developed bladder problems.
The SpaceX and Tesla magnate said that his son was to blame for the injury.
“I was just horsing around with lil’ X, and I said, ‘go ahead punch me in the face,’” 53-year-old Musk said. “And he did. Turns out even a five-year-old punching you in the face actually is…” he added, before tailing off.
Musk, however, dodged a question about the drug allegations.
The New York Times said Musk, the biggest donor to Trump’s 2024 election campaign, also took ecstasy and psychoactive mushrooms and traveled with a pill box last year.
Musk, who has long railed against the news media and championed his X social media platform as an alternative, took aim at the paper instead.
“Is that the same publication that got a Pulitzer Prize for false reporting on the Russiagate?” said Musk, referring to claims that Trump’s 2016 election campaign colluded with Moscow.
“Let’s move on. Okay. Next question.”
The White House had earlier played down the report.
