The world’s richest man, Elon Musk, has made the cover of Time Magazine. But the gag is that the South African-born businessman is seated behind the White House desk of the US President, Donald Trump.
Elon – who heads up the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) – has been accused of meddling in US affairs, particularly federal funds and foreign relations.
He’s also been accused of propagating Trump to believe that South Africa has “openly racist laws” and is “confiscating land” from a minority of white Afrikaners.
ELON MUSK MAKES TIME MAG COVER
On Friday, 7 February, Time Magazine unveiled its latest cover. The cover featured an AI-generated image of Elon Musk seated behind the desk of the White House’s Oval Office.
The area is reserved for US heads of state, ie, President Donald Trump.
In an article titled “Inside Elon Musk’s War on Washington,” the publication accused the Pretoria-born man of being second in command in the Trump administration.
The claim the 52-year-old was “deputized to dismantle vast swaths of the federal bureaucracy—slashing budgets, gutting the civil service, and stripping independent agencies of the ability to impede the President’s objectives.”
TRUMP RESPONDS TO GAG
Shortly after Time Magazine unveiled its cover, US President Donald Trump was asked about the publication’s portrayal of Elon Musk.
Speaking from the White House, he shrugged it off, sarcastically commenting: “Is Time Magazine still in business? I didnt know that”.
Ironically, Trump and his family celebrated him making Time Magazine’s Person of the Year cover in December 2024 in a video that has resurfaced.
WHO IS THE REAL BOSS?
Just weeks into his administration, Trump has been questioned over Elon Musk’s influence in the White House.
Elon notably donated $277 million to Trump’s presidential campaign. He’s also revealed that he purchased X (formerly Twitter) for $44 billion with the objective of reinstating Trump’s banned X account as well as “promoting freedom of speech.”
He told reporters this week: “Elon can’t do—and won’t do—anything without our approval.”
He added: “We’ll give him the approval where appropriate. Where not appropriate, we won’t”.
DO YOU THINK ELON MUSK IS MORE INFLUENTIAL THAN DONALD TRUMP?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.
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