On a Saturday morning in December 2022, Elon Musk summoned finance executives at Twitter, which he had bought six weeks earlier, to a conference call. Then he drilled into a spreadsheet that contained the social media company’s expenditures.

In 2004, Musk began investing in Tesla, Inc., an automotive and energy company, known for its pioneering electric vehicles. Today, Musk serves as CEO of the car and battery storage manufacturer. Tesla does significant business with the U.S. government, securing $41.9 million in federal contracts over the last 16 years.

Musk's newfound influence in the Trump world comes as regulators are grappling with the myriad of cutting-edge technologies his companies are developing.