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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Technology
David Smith in Washington

Whatever happened to Elon Musk? Tech boss drifts to margins of Trump world

a man stands in silence
Elon Musk listens as Donald Trump meets with South Africa's president, Cyril Ramaphosa, in the Oval Office of the White House on Wednesday. Photograph: Jim Lo Scalzo/UPI/Shutterstock

The Oval Office was crowded, with reporters cautioned not to collide with the Resolute Desk. Standing beside them, dressed in black, was Elon Musk, billionaire ally of Donald Trump and head of his government efficiency drive.

“Elon is from South Africa – I don’t want to get Elon involved,” the US president told his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, during a discussion about crime against white farmers. “He actually came here on a different subject: sending rockets to Mars. He likes that better.”

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