According to Musk, Trump won over voters by appearing like “a reasonably-minded, smart person who’s not, like, hardcore one way or the other” during those interviews. “They just listen to someone talk for a few hours and that’s how they decide whether, you know, you’re a good person, whether they like you,” he added.

Trump also singled-out Mr Musk in his victory speech, spending several minutes praising his rocket firm, Space X. Mr Musk's association with the president-elect also boosted the share price of his electric car maker Tesla - and, with it, his net worth, which now stands at an estimated $290bn.