“It was two billionaire, middle-aged men thinking it was WWE in the hall of the West Wing,” one witness said of the argument last Thursday. (Bessent’s net worth is actually $520 million.)
The clash — with both men in each other’s face — showed how much Musk’s personality and style have rankled some senior administration officials since he began running roughshod through agencies with DOGE.
The New York Times first reported Friday that Bessent and Musk had a disagreement over who would lead the IRS. But the chest-to-chest clash between the two men a day earlier has not been reported previously.
“Everyone thinks DOGE is great, but Elon’s antics are just a bit much,” another administration official said.
Musk is a move-fast-and-break-stuff iconoclastic business leader and social media celebrity. Bessent is a cerebral, reserved financial guru who’s much more comfortable explaining markets than being in the news. Or in a dispute with Musk, whom Bessent has praised along with DOGE.
Bessent criticized Musk for overpromising and under-delivering budget cuts with DOGE. Musk clapped back by calling Bessent a “Soros agent” and accusing him of having run “a failed hedge fund.” (Trump has praised Bessent’s financial acumen.)
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