Who's who in the Musk 'A-team' vying to shape Trump 2.0

Billionaire likely to push for government roles for acolytes and allies to cut regulation and protect his businesses.

- Stephen Morris, Tabby Kinder, George Hammond and Hannah Murphy

Elon Musk's role in delivering the US presidency for Donald Trump has given the world's richest man a unique opportunity to reshape the federal government by placing his acolytes and allies inside the incoming administration.

The billionaire's influence continues after the election, with him joining Trump during a call with Mr Volodymyr Zelensky, president of Ukraine, last week to discuss the war there. Now Mr Musk is preparing to wield new power in Washington, having been promised a wide remit as head of a new Department of Government Efficiency.

He has spoken of slashing US$2 trillion (S$2.7 trillion) from the US budget and firing hundreds of thousands from a "vast bureaucracy", while eliminating regulations he blames for stifling innovation.

Mr Musk's advisory role will be structured to ensure he keeps control of companies such as Tesla, X, SpaceX, xAI and his brain-chip company Neuralink, said people familiar with the preparations. Instead, he aims to exert power by installing long-time deputies, engineering experts, financial backers and ideological partners at government agencies.

"America's A team is usually building companies in the private sector," Mr Musk posted on his social media platform X on Nov 7. "Once in a long time, reforming government is important enough that the A team allocates time to government. This is that time."

The billionaire has leaned on a few trusted advisers to oversee his portfolio of companies, tasking them with executing brutal layoffs and abrupt changes in strategy, and meeting seemingly impossible deadlines.

For corporate restructuring, Mr Musk has often relied on Mr Steve Davis, president of the Musk-owned tunnelling start-up The Boring Company.