The big Starlink bet
My question to Grok / X was:
Can you write me a fictional story that reflects the relationship between Trump and Musk? The story should be humorous but with a high degree of truth.
Here is a fictional, humorous story that reflects the relationship between Donald Trump and Elon Musk, based on their real-life relationship, their personalities, and the events leading up to March 2025. It is laced with a wink, but stays close to their characters and dynamics.
The Big Starlink Bet
It was a balmy March evening in 2025, and the White House glittered under the lights of Washington D.C. Donald Trump, fresh in office and wearing a gold tie that outshone even the chandeliers, sat in his office. In front of him: Elon Musk, casually dressed in a crumpled "Mars or Bust" T-shirt, scrolling through X on his phone and muttering something about quantum physics.
"Elon, I'm telling you, this is the best idea since my Trump Tower," Trump began, slamming his hand on the desk so that the Diet Coke next to it wobbled. "We're making NATO great - really great! But these Europeans, they're not paying. I need you and your Starlink to give them legs."
Musk raised an eyebrow without looking up. "Donald, I'm about to send Tesla to the moon and save humanity. Why should I care about the French, who can't even pay for their satellites?”
Trump grinned broadly. “Because I need you, my friend. You are my genius, my Tony Stark! Imagine: We shut down Starlink for Ukraine - just for one day, as a warning - and tell the Europeans: “Pay your 5% or you're offline.‘ They'll run like Usain Bolt!”
Musk laughed dryly, a sound somewhere between a robot and a bubble gum pop. “You want to take Starlink hostage? That's so crazy it's almost brilliant. But I just posted it on X today: I'm not shutting anything down. Ukraine would collapse and then I'd have Putin on the phone threatening to hack my Cybertruck.“
“Putin loves me,” Trump interjected, “we've made the best deals. But OK, listen - we'll make a bet. I say: Europe pays if we bluff. You say: They won't lift a finger. Loser pays a billion - in Bitcoin of course, that's the future.”
Musk leaned back, his hands clasped behind his head. “A billion? Donald, I'll make that in an hour if Dogecoin goes through the roof again. But fine, I'm in - on one condition: If I win, you officially call me 'Inventor of the Century' on your next Truth Social post."
Trump slammed in, his palm like a presidential seal. "Deal! And if I win, you build me a gold Cybertruck with my face on it."
The next few days were chaos straight out of a Hollywood blockbuster. Trump called Angela Merkel (who was no longer chancellor, but he insisted she was "still the boss") and yelled, "Angela, without Starlink you're lost -- say hello to Elon!" Musk, on the other hand, tweeted cryptic memes about "Schrödinger's satellites," leaving the world guessing whether he was bluffing or not. Europeans panicked, France threatened to build its own satellite network ("Vive la WiFi!"), and Germany promised to build two more tanks.
At the end of the ultimatum, Trump sat triumphantly in the Oval Office. "See, Elon? NATO has now set up a fund - 3% more, not 5, but I call that a victory. Where's my Cybertruck?"
Musk grinned crookedly. "Donald, they only promised a fund. The money won't come until 2030 - if at all. I don't see a cent. So where's my title?”
Trump waved his hand. “Details, details! We both won - the best deals, the best ideas. Come on, we'll take a ride in the golf cart and you tell me about this Mars nonsense.”
And so they rolled across the lawn of the White House, laughing - Trump with a golden sunglasses, Musk with a tablet full of X-comments - while Europe wondered whether Starlink would still be running tomorrow. Typical of the two: a lot of noise, a bit of chaos and a friendship based on mutual respect and a touch of madness.
Truth and humor
- Relationship: The story reflects the real closeness between Trump and Musk - Musk's election support and his advisory role are fact. Their humor and idiosyncrasies (Trump's boasting, Musk's sarcasm) are exaggerated but authentic.
- Starlink/NATO: The idea of using Starlink as leverage is fictional, but builds on real discussions about Musk's control and Trump's NATO demands.
- Personalities: Trump with his "great" ideas and Musk with his focus on technology and X are caricatured but close to their public images.