POLL | What do you think of Trump appointing Elon Musk to a top position in government?

US president-elect Donald Trump's appointment of Elon Musk to lead the department of government efficiency with Vivek Ramaswamy has sparked debate.

The world's richest man backed Trump's presidential campaign which played a big role in his election. Not only did he contribute tens of millions of dollars to Trump's campaign but he was one of the party's biggest promoters using his high profile.

Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy “will pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditure and restructure federal agencies”.

The new department will realise long-held Republican dreams and “provide advice and guidance from outside government”, signalling the Musk and Ramaswamy roles would be informal, without requiring senate approval and allowing Musk to remain the head of electric car company Tesla, social media platform X and rocket company SpaceX.

This shift in allegiance is notable, given Musk's past support for Democratic candidates and his 2022 statement suggesting Trump was too old to be a president and he should “sail into the sunset”.

Many believe Musk's influence could positively affect the market value of his companies, potentially benefiting South Africa's relationship with the US, given Musk's Pretoria roots.

TimesLIVE