Elon Musk In Trump Family's Election Victory Photo, But Melania Is Missing

After Donald Trump's landslide victory in the US presidential election, a family photo posted by his granddaughter, Kai, has drawn massive attention -- for the unexpected presence of tech mogul Elon Musk. The billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, holding his son X Æ A-12, stood on the edge of the Trump family circle telling position. Trump's wife, Melania, was absent in the photo. 

Posting the image on X, Kai Trump wrote, “The whole squad.” 

“Elon is now part of the family now,” an X user commented under the post.

Another wrote, “Look at Elon fitting right in. An amazing family.”

Mr Musk's growing influence was also highlighted during the election night celebrations at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, where he was frequently spotted mingling with guests, often with his four-year-old son on his shoulders.

The tech mogul retweeted Kai's post and shared his own photo with Trump and his son, with the caption, “Novus Ordo Seclorum,” a Latin phrase meaning “a new order of the ages.”

Donald Trump won the presidential elections on Tuesday, defeating Democratic rival Kamala Harris by 69 electoral votes. During his victory speech, Trump took the opportunity to publicly thank Mr Musk for his support, calling him a “special guy” and a “super genius.” “We have a new star. A star is born: Elon. He is an amazing guy,” Trump said. 

He also mentioned the billionaire spent two weeks in Philadelphia, in different parts of Pennsylvania, campaigning with Trump. “Only Elon can do this. That's why I love you, Elon," Trump said.

Mr Musk, who endorsed Trump after an assassination attempt in July, played a prominent role in the election cycle, donating more than $100 million to Trump's re-election campaign. He campaigned aggressively in swing states, and used his social media platform, X, to attack Trump's opponents and rally support.

Trump has reciprocated Mr Musk's support by offering him a prominent role in his administration. The President-elect suggested creating a new position of “government efficiency,” with the X owner at the helm. On the campaign trail, Trump even hinted at Mr Musk being the potential “Secretary of Cost-Cutting” – a position Mr Musk is interested in taking.

According to Reuters, Mr Musk's financial backing of Trump is part of a broader strategy to protect his companies from government regulation and secure access to critical subsidies.