Now that Donald Trump's whirlwind bromance with Elon Musk has reached its predictable demise, Musk will surely seek revenge, says his former longtime friend.
"I've had my share of blowouts with Elon over the years," Silicon Valley entrepreneur Philip Low, whose decade-long friendship with Musk went sour in 2021, told Politico. "Knowing Elon the way I know him, I do think he's going to do everything to damage the president."
"It's not a question of if, it's a question of when," Low continued. "He has been humiliated…It's over."
Low, an award-winning neuroscientist, had welcomed Musk to the advisory board of his startup, Neurovigil, in 2014. But Musk was let go in 2021, with the company stating on their website, in part, that Musk's "views, including on neuroscience, artificial intelligence, the COVID-19 pandemic, certain public officials and rescue personnel, animal experimentation, CEO compensation and crypto currencies, certainly do not reflect the views of the company."
"Elon has wooed enough of Trump's supporters to be an actual threat politically," Low added. "He doesn't realize the battle that he has on his hands."
From Politico:
Musk and Trump's made-for-TV breakup erupted earlier this month over the president's megabill that is still moving through Congress. Complete with threats, nonstop X posts and conspiracy-laced insults, their feud hit a peak after Trump mused about canceling the Tesla and SpaceX CEO's government contracts.
In response, Musk unloaded on the social media platform he owns by trashing the president's megabill, floating support of a third party, chiding him for "ingratitude," taking credit for his election win and even insinuating in a now-deleted post that records of the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein "have not been made public" because Trump is in them.
Over an hour-long interview, Low weaved something of a psychological portrait of his former adviser, casting him as obsessive, prone to seeking revenge, power hungry and in constant search of dominance. He suggested Musk aims to explore every available avenue to establish competition with and ultimately overshadow bitter rivals. Low has known him for 14 years but doesn't believe Musk has matured over time, and he's convinced he never will.
Though the two continued to speak for years after Low fired him, Low felt that Musk carried a grudge and their bond was permanently altered. …Low, who considers himself a political independent, said that Trump and the American public shouldn't be fooled. …
As for Trump, Low has some advice for handling a potentially resentful Musk: "Abide by the constitution," and perhaps, listen to some of the tech titan's policy preferences.
Then again, this is Teflon Don we're talking about. Let the games begin.
Previously: Musk's own Grok calls him a "top misinformation spreader on X," dares him to shut it down
