In a clash so inevitable it feels like the final season of a prestige political satire, Elon Musk and Donald Trump - two of the most powerful men with arguably the thinnest skins on Earth - are now at war. Not over policy, ethics, or even money (at least not directly), but over the most potent fuel of the 21st century: Ego.
What began as a carefully transactional relationship between the billionaire technocrat and the “reality TV president” has morphed into a Shakespearean fallout, played out on social media and, inevitably, the stock market. This feud is more than a spectacle - it is a glitch in the simulation, exposing how democracy is now shaped less by institutions and more by the whims of exceptionally online, exceptionally powerful men.
The Build-Up: Billionaire Bromance
The seeds of this high-voltage drama were planted during Trump's first term, when Musk - then still a Silicon Valley favourite - joined the US President's advisory councils. Their relationship was an unlikely duet: One man selling flamethrowers and Mars dreams, the other selling nationalism and golf club memberships. Yet they found common ground in deregulation, disdain for media and an appetite for attention.
Though Musk walked out after Trump pulled the US from the Paris Climate Accord in 2017, there was never a clean break. By 2020, Trump praised Musk as “one of our great geniuses”, while Musk returned the favour by cozying up to conservative talking points and positioning himself as a champion of “free speech” after his takeover of Twitter, now called X.
The Feud Begins: One Big Ugly Bill
Enter Trump's latest legislative gambit: the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” a $2.5 trillion mashup of tax cuts, immigration crackdowns, and budget slashes to healthcare and environmental programmes. Musk, having presumably read the fine print - or at least the parts affecting him - declared the bill a “disgusting abomination”. In particular, he balked at the axing of electric vehicle subsidies, a critical driver of Tesla's appeal.
Trump, rarely one to take criticism quietly, fired back. He accused Musk of hypocrisy, whining about handouts while living off government contracts, and warned of pulling federal funding from Musk's businesses, including lucrative SpaceX deals with NASA.
So here we are - a populist ex-president threatening to crush a private space programme because the CEO called his bill ugly. American governance, ladies and gentlemen.
Power By Proxy: The Digital Battleground
It didn't take long for the digital proxies to join the fray. Musk, in his characteristically chaotic style, called for Trump to be impeached. At one point, he endorsed a tweet suggesting Vice President JD Vance should replace Trump. He even lobbed the Epstein grenade, accusing the Trump administration of withholding damning files.
Trump, on his part, fired salvos from Truth Social, painting Musk as a spoiled billionaire who turned on America when he didn't get his tax breaks.
Meanwhile, Tesla stock plunged - at one point shedding over $150 billion in market value. Investors who once praised Musk's audacity are now wondering if he's steering the ship with a joystick made of memes. The feud is no longer just political theatre. It's economic reality.
The Psychology Of Power (And Platforms)
Let's pause and examine the architecture of this mess.
Trump and Musk are not mere individuals. They are brands, platforms, and echo chambers in human form. Each commands a devoted following, not because of what they build (a country, a car, a spaceship), but because of what they represent: disruption, defiance, dominance.
Both men operate under the gravitational pull of narcissism, a trait frequently observed in high-functioning, high-profile personalities. Trump's public persona is built on dominance, loyalty, and retribution. Musk's identity, meanwhile, is rooted in genius worship and contrarianism. They thrive on attention, and when they don't get it, they manufacture it.
The difference lies in their methods. Trump weaponises grievance. Musk weaponises intellect - or at least the perception of it. Trump's power comes from populism and politics; Musk's from code, contracts and stock markets. But the endgame is the same: control the narrative.
When two narrative-controlling narcissists collide, democracy doesn't just get squeezed - it becomes secondary. Policy becomes performance. Governance becomes spectacle.
This isn't just another high-profile clash of egos. It's a cautionary tale about how democracy is morphing into a personality contest played out on digital colosseum. The Trump-Musk feud is both deeply personal and frighteningly structural. It shows how fragile modern power really is when concentrated in the hands of a few men who consider humility a software bug.
In ancient Rome, emperors clashed with senators over war and law. In 2025 America, the emperor and the rocket man are feuding over subsidies and social media likes.
Perhaps the real question isn't who wins this fight, but what's left of governance when they're done.
(The author is Executive Editor, Growth, NDTV)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
