Will Musk's explosive row with Trump help or harm his businesses? His explosive row with US President Donald Trump - and the very public airing of his dirty White House laundry - suggests Musk's changing priorities might not quite be the salve they had been hoping for. Tesla shares were sent into freefall on Thursday - falling 14% - as he sounded off about Trump on social media. "He's a really powerful person when he's focused on something," said Ross Gerber, President and CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth and Investment Management. Another aspect of Musk's empire that has raised the ire of his detractors is X, the social media platform once known as Twitter.