New alliances: Elon Musk ends Trump ties, befriends Russia’s Durov

So what happened, and why did the “political” romance with Donald Trump end in a painful breakup?

As of May 2025, Elon Musk’s net worth stands at $386 billion. However, money couldn’t save the businessman from his outrageous behavior on social media, his antics at government events, and blatant rudeness toward Marco Rubio, Scott Bessent, and Susie Wiles. Trump was forced to choose — either Musk continued wandering the White House with a child on his shoulders, or he gradually distanced himself from this toxic asset and let him go along the way.

The intrigue was that Musk had spent around $300 million on Donald Trump’s election campaign, becoming one of the largest donors to the Republican Party. In return, the president gave him a position meant to cut government spending on unnecessary programs and idle public servants. However, when Musk’s efforts reached veterans' organizations, air traffic controllers, and critical industries, the situation stopped being amusing. What’s more, the former head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) demanded weekly email reports from federal employees detailing their main work achievements. Failure to comply meant dismissal. The Republican Party realized this could cost them their electoral base, and so Trump’s former friend had to be let go.

Why now? A few days ago, American pollsters released new data on public approval of Trump’s policies — and Musk, once a social media favorite, now has a disapproval rating of 60%.

In early May, Musk was hit with another blow from his former friend, President Donald Trump.

The U.S. president signed a “historic deal” with Saudi Arabia for a $600 billion partnership. Just days later, American businesses began moving into the Middle East. For example, Sam Altman’s OpenAI signed a major agreement with the United Arab Emirates to build one of the world’s largest data centers in Abu Dhabi. Under the deal, the UAE will become the first country to implement ChatGPT in sectors such as education, energy, transportation, and healthcare.

Elon Musk actively tried to sabotage the deal, using every method from tantrums in the White House to smear campaigns against Altman.

The reason for Musk’s dislike of the OpenAI CEO is simple. Back in 2015, the two tech entrepreneurs, Musk and Altman, co-founded a promising artificial intelligence company. However, the venture wasn’t profitable for a long time, and in 2018, Musk left and resigned from the board of directors.

Over time, Sam Altman rose to become a leader in the AI industry, and when Musk asked him in February 2025 if he’d consider selling the company, his former partner said it was too late — he was already winning. And Elon Musk doesn’t take rejection lightly.

So when he failed to derail OpenAI’s deal with the Emirati company G42 through Trump’s influence, the father of 15 took it personally — and finally decided to set off on his own.

But when one door closes, another opens. Russian businessman and Telegram founder Pavel Durov announced a one-year partnership deal under which the Grok chatbot will be integrated into the messenger’s functionality.

The Russian mogul stated that the potential value of the deal is estimated at $300 million. If finalized, Telegram will receive part of the funds in cash and stock, as well as 50% of the revenue from Grok subscriptions made through the platform. Durov also emphasized that his app has 1 billion users — an enticing prospect for Musk, who wants to spread his ideological and political views beyond just the X social network.

Musk denied that the deal had already been signed. However, the word “yet” suggests that something is in the works. The tech oligarch, ousted from the U.S. government, is drifting toward a Russian social network linked to the FSB.

In the recent Romanian elections, Telegram actively promoted anti-Western candidates Călin Georgescu and George Simion. The mayor of Bucharest, who holds pro-Ukrainian views, narrowly won the presidency.

Under wartime censorship, Telegram has become the most popular news source in Ukraine. Over 10 million people actively use the platform, primarily young people aged 16 to 35. The main concern is that it ranks among the top five messengers among Ukrainian users under 25.

So at the first post-war elections, the new powerful business duo, Elon Musk and Pavel Durov, might use their products to influence the situation in Ukraine to their advantage. For Musk, the country is just a small obstacle preventing him from breaking systems, geopolitical blocs, and making huge profits for space exploration by future generations.

When the deal is finally signed, it will mean tough times ahead. Every user should seriously consider whether they are being manipulated through Telegram.

Exclusively for Espreso

About the author. Maryna Danyliuk-Yarmolayeva, journalist

The editorial team does not always share the opinions expressed by blog or column authors.