--- title: "Elon Musk Reportedly Gets in Blowout Fight With Trump Adviser at Mar-a-Lago Dinner" description: "Elon Musk and Donald Trump's adviser Boris Epshteyn got into a nasty public fight at Mar-a-Lago last week as the pair vie for influence." date: "2024-11-18" modified: "2024-11-18" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-blowout-fight-trump-adviser" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "donald trump" - "elon musk" - "politics" - "the digest" --- # Elon Musk Reportedly Gets in Blowout Fight With Trump Adviser at Mar-a-Lago Dinner ![Elon Musk and Donald Trump's adviser Boris Epshteyn got into a nasty public fight at Mar-a-Lago last week as the pair vie for influence.]() *\Image: Jeff Bottari / Zuffa LLC via Getty\* ## Blow-Up Dolls It's only been a few weeks since Elon Musk's money helped bring Donald Trump back to the White House — and already, the billionaire [seems to be causing problems](). According to [insiders who spoke to *Axios*](), Musk and Donald Trump's [indicted lawyer]() Boris Epshteyn got into what the outlet's sources described as a "massive blowup" and a "huge explosion" at Mar-a-Lago last week over the president-elect's Cabinet picks, of all things. Those sources said that the row occurred in front of other guests at Trump's Florida mansion as Musk accused Epshteyn of intentionally leaking picks to the press. The attorney rebutted that he had no idea what the billionaire was talking about — but onlookers, including those within Trump's orbit, were well aware of what the fight was *really* about. ## Sway My Way These explosive tensions had been bubbling for weeks, *Axios*' anonymous sources explained, as the pair vie for influence with Trump. A longtime advisor to the real estate tycoon who has [represented him in court]() and [briefly worked with him during his first presidency](), Epshteyn's sway with Trump makes sense. Musk, however, doesn't seem too pleased about that sway. He's taken to airing out his thoughts in public as he pushes for transition co-chair Howard Lutnick to be appointed to lead the Treasury Department instead of hedge fund chief Scott Bessent, who [Trump once called]() "brilliant" and "nice-looking." "My view \[for what it's worth\] is that Bessent is a business-as-usual choice, whereas \[Lutnik\] will actually enact change," [Musk tweeted]() days after the alleged blowout. "Business-as-usual is driving America bankrupt, so we need change one way or another." ## Power Player An outsider in Trump's world of well-heeled movers and shakers, Musk's jockeying for power has some in the president-elect's inner circle complaining about the South African-born business owner's antics. In an [interview with *The Hill*](), one GOP lobbyist tied to Trump said that Musk has gotten a "little big for his britches," and [another ally told *NBC News*]() that the billionaire is "behaving as if he's a co-president." A source with Trump's transition team [insisted in a statement to the *New York Post*]() that the story about Musk and Epshtyen's fight is "complete and total nonsense, which *Axios* is known for." One thing's for sure, though: there's [bad blood brewing]() in the transition team. **More on Musk in Trumpworld:** [*Elon Musk's "DOGE" Department Sounds Like It Might Be a Fake Thing to Make Him Feel Important*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()