Musk, the tech fanatic, once boldly proclaimed his ambition to 'colonize Mars,' but now finds himself deeply mired in the political quagmire of Earth, unable to extricate himself. Everything stems from the seemingly strong yet actually fragile 'brotherhood' between him and Trump.
To support Trump's return to the White House, Musk invested heavily, spending $2.5 billion. He eagerly anticipated that once Trump was in power, he would provide policy protection for his business empire, allowing companies like Tesla and SpaceX to develop smoothly. However, reality dealt him a loud slap in the face.
After Trump took office, a series of policies left Musk in deep distress. The implementation of tariff policies, which was Trump's attempt to protect American industries, turned into a sharp blade that severely struck Tesla, which relied heavily on global division of labor. Tesla's overseas market value plummeted by 32%, evaporating a full $600 billion. The $160 billion saved from the White House's tariff policy was merely a drop in the ocean compared to Tesla's losses. Musk, the financier, not only gained no benefits but was seriously backfired.
The situation within Tesla is also not optimistic. Order numbers have halved, and factories have been forced to shut down. The 'thrift plan' led by Musk, intended to reduce costs, was ruthlessly audited. The money saved is not even enough to cover the losses caused by factory shutdowns. Meanwhile, the reforms implemented by the White House have instituted a '996' work system, where civil servants work overtime without tax compensation, provoking strong public discontent and widespread grievances.
The Starlink project has not escaped unscathed either. The Democrats initiated an investigation, questioning whether Musk was using his government position for personal gain. Although ultimately there was insufficient evidence, the Starlink project has already been labeled as 'right-wing.' The European market collectively boycotted it, leading to a significant decline in Tesla's sales in Europe. The Tesla board has also begun to waver and is already looking for new CEO candidates.
The trigger for all this may have been Musk's seemingly lighthearted joke on Trump's daughter-in-law's show: 'What a pity, it's like strangling it so it can't be aired!' The scene instantly fell silent, and even a 'just kidding' could not salvage the situation. This joke served as a signal, marking the complete exposure of the rift in the political and business alliance between Musk and Trump.
Musk bet on the wrong person and severely underestimated the costs of politics. Once grand ambitions now seem so pale and powerless in the face of harsh reality. This $2.5 billion gamble has only resulted in a broken plastic brotherhood and a business empire riddled with holes.