Since George Washington, presidents have trusted Wall Street and Main Street leaders to put the nation’s books in order, juice the economy or bring efficiency to a lumbering bureaucracy.

Elon Musk has been driving the news agenda in the UK and other European countries with often incendiary comments on X, prompting leaders to hit back.

With 211 million followers on social media, the multibillionaire seems intent on using his global platform to rattle British politics.