One of the richest men in the world will soon occupy an office in the White House after President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated next week.
Billionaire Elon Musk has been given office space in the White House, according to to the New York Times, citing people briefed on the plans.
Musk was appointed by Trump to lead a Department of Government Efficiency to scrutinize federal spending, along with former presidential candidate technology entrepreneur Trump booster Vivek Ramaswamy.
However, the function will not take place in the actual White House building, but in the large Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex.
Only a select number of Trump aides actually work in the West Wing of the White House.
But Musk’s physical proximity to Trump could still be close enough to allow him to further influence the president if he decides to cross the street.
Musk, who has embraced Trump’s “First Buddy” title, has donated millions to the newly elected president’s campaign efforts and has spent a lot of time with him since the election.
Democrats are outraged by Musk’s closeness to the president, often labeling him Trump’s “co-president” because of his cozy relationship with Trump.
Newly elected US President Donald Trump and Elon Musk watch the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket
The Eisenhower Executive Office Building is located within the White House complex, but across the street from the actual Oval Office
Musk’s companies receive billions of dollars in government contracts with the federal government, especially SpaceX, the pioneering rocket company that is changing space travel.
Trump and Musk traveled with his entourage to attend a rocket launch, part of an event encouraging the growth of the space industry.
The news of Musk’s White House office comes just as former Trump strategist and senior adviser Steve Bannon said he would try to keep Musk away from Trump’s second term in the White House.
“He’s not going to have a blue pass to the White House, he’s not going to have full access to the White House, he’s going to be like any other person,” said Bannon, describing the tech billionaire as “a really bad guy.”
Bannon commented on Musk in an interview with Italian news channel Corriere della Sera.
Elon Musk speaks with newly elected US President Donald Trump and guests during a viewing of the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship
Steve Bannon, former advisor to former US President and now President-elect Donald Trump,
Trump’s former allies recently clashed over a debate over H-1B visas, which provide legal status to foreigners who want to work in the United States, mainly at technology companies.
Critics of H-1B visas argue that skilled Americans should be given tech jobs over foreign workers.
Bannon promised that he would emerge victorious over Musk and his fellow tech moguls.
“We’ve been fighting this battle for 10 years,” Bannon said. “We’re going to expose the whole corruption of the American system, of how money controls everything, and hopefully inspire you in Italy to wake up,” he said.