During the social media skirmish with Trump on Thursday, Tesla’s CEO posted on his platform X (formerly Twitter). He stated that the Jeffrey Epstein files had not been released due to Trump’s name appearing in them.
In his message to Trump, Musk asserted, “Donald Trump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!”
According to an NDTV report, adding weight to the idea of de-escalation, Musk responded positively to hedge fund manager Bill Ackman’s plea for peace between the two.
A separate report from Politico indicated that White House aides suggested Trump ease his public criticism of Musk. Trump reportedly seemed indifferent to the ongoing spat while discussing it with the publication, despite having exchanged barbs publicly.
The origins of the Elon Musk and Donald Trump feud
The tensions arose when Tesla’s CEO criticized Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’—a major spending initiative. Musk described it as a ‘disgusting abomination’. Additionally, he hinted at creating a new political entity named the ‘American Party’, according to sources.
In response, Trump threatened to cut government subsidies and contracts related to Musk’s businesses. Following this, Musk invoked Trump’s name and associated him with the Jeffrey Epstein files, urging his followers to ‘mark’ his post for future reference. He claimed, ‘The truth will come out.’
Last month, Musk reportedly stepped away from the US administration to concentrate on his business, which faced challenges while he led the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), as noted by NDTV.
The market implications of the Musk-Trump feud
The public altercation resulted in significant repercussions. Tesla’s stock price fell, and Musk’s net worth dropped drastically, losing around $34 billion in just one night. This situation alarmed investors and political backers, prompting calls for the two to reconcile, according to a report in The Independent.
Regarding Trump and the Epstein files, his name does appear in Epstein’s flight logs and contact lists, but there is no substantial evidence linking him to any of Epstein’s illicit activities, as stated in a report from New York Magazine.
