Elon Musk’s reported residency at Mar-a-Lago grants him close proximity to the President-elect.
According to The New York Times, Elon Musk, founder of Tesla and SpaceX, has reportedly been residing in a cottage at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida since the November presidential election.
The NYT reported Monday, citing a source familiar with the property, that Musk occupies the Banyan Cottage, a $2,000-a-night rental located near Trump’s residence, facilitating frequent access to the President-elect.
This arrangement highlights Musk’s considerable influence on Trump’s transition team, enabling regular meetings, policy discussions, and dinners with the President-elect, the newspaper stated.
Since publicly supporting Trump after a July assassination attempt, Musk has become a key advisor, participating in meetings at the Mar-a-Lago Teahouse, engaging in calls with foreign leaders, and assisting in vetting candidates for senior administrative positions. A recent dinner with Trump and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos further exemplifies their close relationship.
Musk’s financial contributions to Trump’s campaign were substantial, reportedly amounting to a significant sum in the final months of the election cycle. This support has solidified his position as a leading donor and social media advocate for the President-elect.
Musk’s stay at Mar-a-Lago reportedly began around Election Day, where he watched the results with Trump. He briefly left around Christmas but is expected to return soon. The exact cost of his stay remains unclear. Vice President-elect JD Vance has also been a frequent visitor to Mar-a-Lago during the transition.
Last week, Trump shared what seemed to be a private text message to Musk, inviting him to Mar-a-Lago. Screenshots circulated online showed Musk acknowledging the invitation, though his attendance wasn’t confirmed.
”Where are you? When are you coming to the ‘Center of the Universe,’ Mar-a-Lago?” Trump wrote in a since-deleted post, adding, “We miss you and X! New Year’s Eve is going to be AMAZING!!!” before signing off with his initials, “DJT.”