X marks the spot: Bruised Musk says his young son punched him
World
He made the comments during an Oval Office event
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A bruised Elon Musk explained away a black eye during a White House appearance on Friday by saying that his 5-year-old son had punched him in the face while the two were playing around.
Musk made the comments during an Oval Office event with Donald Trump marking the end of the billionaire's formal cost-cutting role in the president's administration.
Musk's visibly bruised right eye caught reporters' attention. Asked about the injury, Musk said he was "horsing around" with his son, who is named X.
"And I said, 'Go ahead, punch me in the face.' And he did," Musk said.
Trump then interjected. "That was X that did that? ...X could do it. If you knew X."
When he was initially asked about the bruise, Musk brushed it off with his usual cryptic humor. "I wasn’t anywhere near France," he quipped, referencing a recent incident where President Emmanuel Macron’s wife shoved him in the face.
Musk said he didn't feel much at the time but it bruised later.
The Tesla CEO is leaving the Trump administration after leading a tumultuous cost-cutting drive, during which he upended several federal agencies but ultimately failed to deliver the generational savings he had sought.
DENIES DRUG USE ALLEGATION
Meanwhile, Musk strongly denied a report published by The New York Times alleging he regularly used a range of drugs during the 2024 US presidential campaign.
The report, published on Friday, cited private messages and interviews with over a dozen individuals familiar with Musk’s behaviour.
According to the newspaper, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO consumed ketamine to such an extent that it led to reported bladder complications.
The article also described Musk traveling with a pill organiser and exhibiting erratic public behavior, including a Nazi-style salute during a January rally celebrating Trump’s return to the White House.
Musk responded on Saturday via his platform, X (formerly Twitter), calling the story false and sensationalised. “To be clear, I am NOT taking drugs! The New York Times was lying their ass off,” Musk wrote.
