Trump’s “loyalty is only to himself”

Billionaire investor Mark Cuban warned Tesla boss Elon Musk on Sunday against forming an alliance with former President Donald Trump, saying the Republican presidential candidate may not ultimately repay his political debts.

“Elon, there will come a time when you need something from Donald Trump,” Cuban wrote in an X-post to his fellow billionaire. “You will think you have earned the right to ask and receive. You were a loyal, loyal soldier to him.”

“At the point when you need him most,” Cuban continued. “You will find out what so many have learned before you: His loyalty is only to himself.”

Cuban’s message came in response to a previous X post from Musk in which the SpaceX CEO amplified a series of conspiracy theories that Democrats would promote immigration to battleground states as “a surefire way to win any election.”

“If Trump is NOT elected, this will be the last election,” Musk wrote.

Musk’s support for Trump is a stark reversal from 2022, when he openly insulted the former president on social media.

Cuban’s warning to Musk, from one billionaire to another, hinted at the implicit pursuit of government favor that wealthy political supporters undertake when they align themselves with a presidential candidate.

The two billionaires are on opposite sides of the presidential race this election cycle. But both business leaders are eyeing some degree of regulatory control.

Cuban believes Trump may not push through this trade in favor of Musk.

Cuban has become an outspoken surrogate for Vice President Kamala Harris and her economic agenda. In recent weeks, he has regularly called Harris “better for business,” even as he has expressed some skepticism about her plan to raise corporate tax rates.

As Cuban increases his public support, he is also keeping an eye on a possible new job at the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“I told her team, put my name in the SEC, that has to change,” Cuban said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” earlier this month.

Meanwhile, Musk is looking for a new job. Musk has repeatedly floated the creation of a so-called Government Efficiency Commission to crack down on federal spending if Trump wins a second term in the White House. And he has raised his hand to lead such an agency.

Earlier this month, Trump endorsed the idea of ​​a government efficiency commission and suggested Musk could be a “good man” to lead it.

But the Republican candidate assured that Musk, a busy CEO of several companies, may not have the time for the job but that he could “consult.”