From the New York Times, I'm Rachel Abrams, and this is The Daily.

After single-handedly remaking the auto industry, social media, and the global space race,

Elon Musk is now turning his attention and personal fortune to politics.

Over the past few months,

he became the single most influential figure in the race for president, and now the emerging White House of Donald Trump. Today, my colleagues Kirsten Grind and Eric Lipton on what

exactly Musk wants from the new president and why he's so well poised to get it.

It's Wednesday, November 13th.

Kirsten, we spent the last few months watching as Elon Musk really became kind of the face of Donald Trump's campaign for president.

And in the days since he won, Musk has only increased his proximity to President-elect Trump.

And last night, of course, Trump announced that Musk would lead a new government agency.

What will Musk's specific role in the Trump administration be?

Late Tuesday evening, Donald Trump announced a bunch of new appointments to his new administration,

and included in that was this role for Elon Musk. And what Donald Trump said is that Elon Musk will be leading up this

completely new government department focused on efficiency. Efficiency is something that Elon Musk has

been obsessed with for years. And basically, it's just showing how much power Elon Musk is going to

have in this administration and how much Donald Trump respects his opinion.

Kirsten, you've covered Musk for years. Did any of this surprise you?

So I'm an investigative reporter who has

written a lot about Elon Musk, and I have to say I could have never predicted this political

transformation that has happened over the last year. For him to become so involved in politics after really staying out of it for most

of his life and career and being in the room with Donald Trump on election night is a

metamorphosis I definitely was not prepared for. How did we get from a guy you would never have expected to get

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