Elon Musk's time as the leader of President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has come to an end. “As my scheduled time as a special government employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President [Trump] for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,

Elon Musk's time in the Trump administration is coming to an end after a tempestuous 129 days in which the world's richest man took an axe to government spending - stirring ample controversy along the way.

Just about 48 hours after Musk left the government, his preferred pick to run NASA was withdrawn by the White House.

Few American presidents have leveraged self-images for political messaging — and sometimes personal gain — in the way Trump has throughout his political career.