MOSCOW, June 6. /TASS/. US Vice President JD Vance, who enjoys a positive rapport with both President Donald Trump and entrepreneur Elon Musk, could emerge as the beneficiary of their recent clash, associate professor in the Department of World Economy and International Affairs at the Higher School of Economics Ksenia Bondarenko told TASS.

On June 5, Musk and Trump exchanged a series of sharp remarks. The US billionaire businessman said Trump would not have won the 2024 election without his support and said yes to the idea of impeaching the current head of state. Also, Musk bashed against import tariffs imposed by the US president and warned of a recession in the US economy in the second half of 2025. In turn, Trump said Musk at a certain point stopped performing his duties as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effectively and "just went crazy." The US head of state threatened to terminate Musk’s governmental subsidies and contracts.

"In terms of political consequences, the likely beneficiary is JD Vance, whom both sides – Elon Musk and Donald Trump – view favorably," Bondarenko said.

Among the economic repercussions, the expert highlighted stock market volatility and uncertainty surrounding the adoption of Trump’s new spending bill, as well as "potential increased tensions within the White House over reaching a consensus on possibly raising the debt ceiling." "The spat will also likely impact Elon Musk’s projects, Donald Trump has a long memory and could indeed cut funding," Bondarenko noted.

"Elon Musk remains the world’s richest person, but according to Bloomberg, his net worth 'dropped' by $33.9 billion in a single day yesterday, bringing his total losses since the start of the year to $97.9 billion. However, it’s important to understand that his 'worth' largely reflects the value of Tesla’s stock, and Musk had no intention of selling any shares yesterday or today. So, the question of stock prices (and consequently, his net worth) is highly volatile. For example, after Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev’s post on X stating that Russia is ready to facilitate peace between Donald Trump and Elon Musk, Tesla’s premarket shares rose by 5%. Whether this means Musk’s wealth has actually increased again (just like yesterday’s drop) remains debatable," the expert explained.

According to Bondarenko, resolving the conflict could serve as a catalyst for stock market growth, "and some may profit a lot from this volatility."