Elon Musk and Donald Trump, one a tech maniac wanting to shoot humans to Mars, the other a real estate tycoon wanting to make America "great again", ultimately staged a shocking breakup in June after what seemed like an unbreakable brotherhood.
Their relationship was like a free-fall ride in Chinese action films, suddenly shooting to the highest point, making fans believe they were witnessing a perfect alliance between the universe's master and Earth's leader, then in seconds, with G-force acceleration, crashing to the ground without looking back, leaving only a mess of feathers and a globally stunned audience.
This public mud-slinging, from criticizing legislation to accusing ingratitude, ultimately bringing out nuclear-level dirt like the "Epstein list", was as dramatic as the climax of an evening soap opera.
Further Reading: Musk's Destructive Revelation: Trump Listed in "Wealthy Pervert" Epstein Sexual Crime List, Deliberately Concealed by the White House
But if we put on the glasses of a skeptic and look past the social media's saliva and smoke, you'll discover that the script for this grand drama was already written. This wasn't an accident, but an inevitability. The core of this play cannot escape three key words: stance, personality, and that damned commercial profit.
[The rest of the translation continues in the same manner, maintaining the structure and translating the text to English while preserving the <> tags.]He threw out the "Epstein list" bombshell, which is a typical Musk-style operation: chaotic, out of control, extremely high-risk, yet able to instantly seize everyone's attention and firmly grasp the narrative control. He is not supporting anyone; he is declaring: "The rules of this planet should be defined by me."
So, the essence of this farce is two stars trying to squeeze into the same solar system. One believes he is the political center of the universe, while the other believes he is the technological brain of the universe. Their relationship is merely based on a terrifying balance of "temporarily not destroying each other". When the balance is broken, all that remains is a life-and-death battle to determine "who is in the C-position".
III. Business Profit: Discussing Emotional Damage to Money
Let's talk about the most mundane, most real aspect: money.
Politics is virtual, slogans are fake; only the numbers etched on the balance sheet are the only truth these billionaires care about.
For Musk, the core of this war is survival.
His business empire, especially Tesla, is largely built on government policy milk.
Electric vehicle subsidies, carbon trading, government space launch contracts - these are all real money. Trump's "Big and Beautiful Act" directly cut off his financial lifeline, which is a "survival threat" in the business world.
His choice to publicly break up is less about ideals and more about a carefully calculated business gamble. His bet is that SpaceX and Starlink's strategic importance to U.S. national security has grown so large that Trump dares not truly take action. Through this, he sends a message to everyone in Washington: "I am too big to fail; provoke me, and we'll all go down together."
At the same time, breaking up with Trump can help Tesla wash away the "redneck driver" image (Southern Americans buying Tesla) and win back environmentalist consumers who are anti-Trump.
For Trump, this is also a politically profitable deal. He portrays Musk as an "ungrateful liberal elite", perfectly fitting into his script of fighting against the deep state and interest groups.
He can tell his supporters: "Look! This so-called genius turns his back once he can't get government money! He's no different from those Washington crocodiles!"
This not only consolidates his base but also serves as a warning to other entrepreneurs: those who offend me will suffer!
Tesla's stock price plummets? That perfectly proves "offending Trump has no good end", which is exactly the propaganda effect he wants to see.
So, this breakup drama is, at its core, a business negotiation broadcast on social media. Musk is defending his subsidies and contracts, while Trump is consolidating his power and prestige. Every insult they throw is a bullet aimed at the other's stock price and support rate.
Conclusion?
How could you think this drama has a conclusion? Musk and Trump's relationship was never built on trust or friendship, but on a naked exchange of interests and power balance. When interests no longer align and personalities become incompatible, falling out is just a matter of time.
Conversely, as long as their interests can be renegotiated, they would even kiss in public.
They are like two giant babies fighting in a sandbox, except their sandbox is Earth, and their toys are rockets, social media, and state machinery.
As for who wins or loses? Perhaps it matters to them, but for us, a member of the population, what we should truly ponder is: When power and wealth are concentrated to this degree, how much real weight is left in the so-called "democracy" and "freedom"?
