At a celebratory rally after Trump’s inauguration, Musk’s White House career got off to a contentious start when he seemingly offered a straight-arm salute at the Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C., as he excitedly told the crowd: “My heart goes out to you.”

President Trump and Elon Musk appeared together one last time in the Oval Office on Friday, marking the exit of the world’s richest man from his frontline political role. Time was up for Musk because of his status as a special government employee – a categorization that triggers few disclosure requirements but also caps