Elon Musk returns to his tech empire, plagued by questions of inattention

Some of Musk's companies have benefited from his proximity to the White House, with Trump at one point promoting Tesla cars on the White House lawn and SpaceX harvesting more government tie-ups with Starlink, its satellite internet service. X remains a powerful megaphone for Musk's and Trump's supporters. And Trump is a valuable ally with policy power who oversees agencies that regulate Musk's businesses.