The leading role the former “first buddy” took in stoking the Epstein controversy shows how he remains a potent political risk for Trump months after he publicly left the White House.

If doing irreparable damage to Donald Trump was on Elon Musk's mind when he posted his infamous attack on the president where he stated the president "is in the Epstein files," he certainly got his wish,

Elon Musk hit back at President Trump’s claim that he didn’t want to strip the mogul’s companies of his government subisidies. Trump seemingly extended an olive branch after the public falling out between the two by denying reports that he had it out for Musk.

"Musk is CEO -- the buck stops with him. As a CEO in a competitive environment, he's the one who has to have the vision and lead the troops," David Meier, a senior investment analyst at The Motley Fool, told ABC News. "But there's a lot going on in the world that impacts Tesla's business."