Xowner and tech billionaire Elon Musk has deleted his post on the social media platform accusing President Donald Trump of being in classified FBI files relating to the disgraced paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
On Thursday, Mr Musk disclosed Mr Trump was implicated in the high-profile transnational sex trafficking of minors case involving Mr Epstein, who committed suicide in his jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on charges, amid a rapid relationship breakdown between the two former allies.
“@realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files,” the billionaire noted, alleging “that is the real reason they have not been made public,” which apparently referenced Mr Trump’s campaign promise to release classified documents relating to the case.
The fall-out between the duo came days after Mr Musk stepped down as head of Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and then pivoted to attacking Mr Trump-championed “One Big Beautiful Bill” act, which would extend tax cuts, fund beefed-up immigration enforcement and impose new work requirements for enrollees of federal safety net programs.
Meanwhile, online checks confirmed that Mr Musk has now deleted his post levelling the weighty allegations against Mr Trump, with the Financial Times reporting that allies of the duo are urging them to “repair their relationship, seeking to limit the political and commercial damage” from the split.
Mr Musk’s car manufacturing company Tesla lost over $150 billion in market capitalisation value just hours after the public outburst between the duo, while Mr Trump’s landmark tax bills risk being derailed in the Senate after narrowly passing in the House of Representatives.