US business giants line up to cut deals with Elon Musk as billionaire expands influence in Washington

A rapid series of agreements between US companies and Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s businesses reflect optimism regarding his proximity to President Donald Trump. Amid concerns over aggressive steps Musk has taken to reorganize the federal government, the deals indicate that the world’s richest man is amassing an alarming amount of power. Some of the announcements signal a potential reversal of fortunes following Musk’s troubled takeover of X, formerly known as Twitter. In 2022, Musk proposed purchasing Twitter for $44 billion and unsuccessfully attempted to back out of the deal. The social media network has since lost most of its value…