The cottage being used by Musk has been used over the years by many friends and associates of Trump.
Years ago, before Trump became a presidential candidate, former speaker John Boehner stayed at Banyan with a friend.
Trump has bragged to people that Musk – the world’s richest man – is “renting” one of the residential spaces at Mar-a-Lago. It is unclear how much Musk will ultimately end up paying for the cottage, which historically has rented for at least $US2000 ($3200) a night, according to a person with knowledge of the fees.
Mar-A-Lago, Donald Trump’s estate in Palm Beach, Florida, where Elon Musk has been using one of the cottages.Credit: Bloomberg
Officials at the club do not typically bill guests until the end of their stay, leaving open the possibility that Trump will choose not to charge Musk, or to reduce the size of his bill. But Trump is not known to shy away from income opportunities.
Musk moved into the cottage around election day and watched the returns at Mar-a-Lago with Trump. He left the property around Christmas and has been expected to return in coming days.
Musk is known around the club for making requests like meals outside the normal kitchen hours. While staying at Mar-a-Lago, he has been accompanied by at least two of his children – Musk has at least 11 – and their nannies.
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One of the mothers of his children, Shivon Zilis, who worked for Musk at his brain implant company Neuralink, has also been photographed at Mar-a-Lago since the election.
Musk travels frequently and is known to stay at properties owned by his friends. In San Francisco, he has been known to stay at the home of David Sacks, a venture capitalist whom Trump nominated recently to be an adviser on cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence. While in Hawaii, he has resided at places owned by billionaire Larry Ellison on the island of Lanai.
Mar-a-Lago is different, however, in being a for-profit enterprise owned by Trump rather than a private home.
A spokesperson for the Trump transition did not respond to an email seeking comment about the arrangement. Musk did not respond to an email request for comment.
On Friday, in a post on Truth Social that seemed intended as a private communication to Musk, Trump wrote: “Where are you? When are you coming to the ‘Centre of the Universe,’ Mar-a-Lago. Bill Gates asked to come, tonight. We miss you and x! New Year’s Eve is going to be AMAZING!!! DJT.”
Elon Musk attended an America First Policy Institute gala at Mar-a-Lago in November.Credit: Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times
Some of Trump’s advisers have privately griped about how much influence Musk has had on the transition and how inseparable he is from the president-elect.
Musk is unlikely to have such unfettered physical access to Trump after the president-elect is sworn in on January 20 in Washington. Coming and going in the West Wing is more onerous than at Trump’s private clubs, as is access to the White House residence.
Still, Trump has often liked to collect people, and has enjoyed knowing that many of them pay for access to him. Since he first took office, people seeking to curry favour with him – or to get face time with him – have joined his clubs, rented ballrooms at his properties or stayed in his hotels.
Trump is said to have increased the initial membership fee at Mar-a-Lago to $US1 million.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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