Elon Musk owes Donald Trump eye-watering amount of money amid widening rift: Report

Elon Musk owes Donald Trump eye-watering amount of money amid widening rift: Report
In a shocking turn of events, it has been revealed that Tesla CEO Elon Musk owes an eye-watering amount of money to President Donald Trump (Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC: Elon Musk’s whirlwind bromance with Donald Trump seems to have hit a rocky patch amid the tech mogul’s departure from the president’s White House.

Now, in a shocking turn of events, it has been revealed that the billionaire Tesla CEO owes an eye-watering amount of money to the Commander-in-Chief.

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 30: Tesla CEO Elon Musk receives a key from U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on May 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. Musk, who served as an adviser to Trump and led the Department of Government Efficiency, announced he would leave his role in the Trump administration to refocus on his businesses. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Tesla CEO Elon Musk receives a key from President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on May 30, 2025, in Washington, DC (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Elon Musk owes $100M to Donald Trump

The Starlink founder owes Trump $100 million, which is a part of a larger $300 million commitment Musk allegedly made to support the President’s re-election efforts, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The news outlet reported that Trump’s advisers confirmed that Musk isn't keeping the money coming in, now that their bromance appears to have come to a standstill.

This missing sum is seemingly the most concrete sign yet of a widening rift between the two larger-than-life figures.

White House Senior Advisor, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk (L) listens during a cabinet meeting held by U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on March 24, 2025 in Washington, DC. This is Trump's third cabinet meeting of his second term, and it focused on spending cuts proposed by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk (L) listens during a cabinet meeting held by President Donald Trump at the White House on March 24, 2025, in Washington, DC (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The pair shared a public alliance over the past year, especially during the election run and early days of the Trump administration. But the bond has since weakened, with insiders now describing the situation as “strained.”

Rift between Donald Trump and Elon Musk over Sam Altman

The White House insiders revealed that the shocking rift between Trump and Musk has been brewing for a while now.

A significant cause of conflict seems to be Musk's annoyance at a covert meeting between Trump and one of his known rivals, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, according to Futurism.

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 29: U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks before signing the Laken Riley Act, the first piece of legislation passed during his second term in office, in the East Room of the White House on January 29, 2025 in Washington, DC. Jason Riley and Allyson Philips, the parents of 22-year-old Laken Riley, a University of Georgia nursing student who was murdered in 2024 by an undocumented immigrant, attended the signing ceremony. Among other measures, the law directs law enforcement authorities to detain and deport immigrants who are accused but not yet convicted of specific crimes, if they are in the country illegally. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump delivers remarks before signing the Laken Riley Act in the East Room of the White House on January 29, 2025, in Washington, DC (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Musk was so angered by the news, according to the WSJ, that the meeting was postponed just to appease him. However, Altman never made it to a planned public event with Trump, likely due to the behind-the-scenes drama.

The fallout was further triggered after the Trump administration grew frustrated with Musk’s behavior inside his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

The tech mogul made a slew of controversial decisions without coordinating with key Trump officials, forcing the president to appoint an official to monitor Musk’s actions.

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 30: Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks alongside U.S. President Donald Trump to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on May 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. Musk, who served as an adviser to Trump and led the Department of Government Efficiency, announced he would leave his role in the Trump administration to refocus on his businesses. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Elon Musk speaks alongside President Donald Trump to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on May 30, 2025, in Washington, DC (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

The billionaire also butted heads with key Trump appointees and was furious about the president's plans to roll out extreme tariffs, which have caused endless chaos for the global economy.

Musk’s time at the White House came to an end on May 28 after he announced his departure from DOGE amid mounting pressure from Tesla's board.

Elon Musk distances himself from Donald Trump’s policies 

Billionaire businessman Elon Musk speaks during a town hall meeting at the KI Convention Center on March 30, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The town hall is being held in front of the state’s high-profile Supreme Court election between Circuit Court Judge Brad Schimel, who has been financially backed by Musk and endorsed by President Donald Trump, and Dane County Circuit Court Judge Susan Crawford. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Billionaire businessman Elon Musk speaks during a town hall meeting at the KI Convention Center on March 30, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Elon Musk appeared to distance himself from Donald Trump after he deflected questions about his ally’s proposed policies, including soaring tariffs and restrictions on foreign students.

He recently sat down with CBS correspondent David Pogue to discuss an array of topics, with DOGE being one of the main ones.



 

“I noticed that all of your businesses involve a lot of components, a lot of parts. Do the tariffs and the trade wars affect any of this?” the host asked the tech mogul.

Musk shook his shoulders and said, "Ugh, you know, tariffs always affect things a little bit."

“Wondering what your thought is on the ban on foreign students — the proposal. I mean, you were one of those kids, right?” Pogue again asked.

Looking seemingly uncomfortable, the tech mogul took a long pause before asking Pogue to stick to the topic. "I think we want to stick to the topic of today, which is spaceships as opposed to presidential policy," Musk said.

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