Elon Musk and Donald Trump
Credit: X/@elonmusk
Elon Musk on Thursday shared a photograph with US President-elect Donald Trump, captioning it 'Novus ordo seclorum'.
The Latin phrase translates to 'a new order of the ages'.
While the phrase can be heard in Megadeth's track Washington is Next, it also appears on the back of US dollar bills. The phrase appears on the reverse side of the Great Seal of the United States.
It was coined by Charles Thomson, secretary of the Congress of the Confederation, who took it from Roman poet Virgil. Given that the phrase was coined in the US context much before Megadeth even came into being, it is more likely Musk is making a reference to US' history than to the thrash metal band, though given Musk's proclivity for pop culture, it is not beyond the realm of possibility.
Musk, who was initially a moderate Democrat, changed his stance to Republican during Joe Biden's presidency, but had initially shied away from Trump as the presidential choice.
However, ahead of the elections he changed his tune even going to the extent of endorsing Trump after the failed assassination attempt on the Republican. Musk has also been Trump's single-largest backer monetarily.
Now, the X owner is expected to have a governmental post in the new administration, which is focused on streamlining matters and increasing efficiency.
It is likely that Musk's caption refers to a new world order that Trump 2.0 will bring. The Republican will set foot in the Oval Office in January 2025 facing a world where the Russia-Ukraine war is likely to remain ongoing and West Asia tensions likely to keep simmering.
As Trump and his government, including Musk, try to navigate the global geopolitical landscape, the billionaire has the Republican's confidence.
Trump was largely appreciative of Musk in his victory speech, introducing him as a 'star'. 'A star is born,' Trump said, playing on the name of the popular Hollywood movie, most recently remade with Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga.
Even as Trump urged Americans to put aside past differences and make America great again, Musk thanked X users, saying "Huge thank you to everyone who supported this platform and our mutual quest to support freedom of speech!"
Right after the election results, Musk saw Tesla shares jump 15 per cent, and his personal wealth spiked $20.5 billion or 7.73 per cent to $285.2 billion, as per Forbes’ Real-Time Billionaires list.