Musk, who also runs SpaceX and a number of other companies, has been known to make big often exaggerated promises. For example, he once called the Hyperloop, which was never built, the "fifth mode of transport" and famously promised to take Tesla private in a Twitter post, saying he had secured financing that he didn't have.

But when it comes to Washington, it’s Twitter that has become real life—inspiring Musk in his quest to reshape the federal government and exert influence over American politics. Musk’s weekend of political disruption,

Musk has been granted power by the president to reduce the size of the federal government - but is he silently taking over?

Elon Musk isn't just President Donald Trump's biggest financial backer and sidekick in the new administration. He's now putting his stamp on Trump's efforts to completely upend the U.S. government. The world's richest man is "sweeping through Washington and answering to nobody,