Elon Musk was mocked online after showing up to receive an award from Donald Trump with what many described as an unkempt hairstyle. The Tesla and SpaceX boss, 55, arrived at the ceremony sporting a thick quiff that one viewer compared to a mushroom.
Despite being one of the richest men in the world, Musk appeared without a recent trim or even a comb, sparking a wave of jokes on his own social media platform, X.
Viewers roast Musk on X
One user wrote: "With all his money, can’t Elon hire a better barber? God, he has no self-awareness." Another joked: "Elon Musk: proof that even money can't buy a good men's haircut." A third asked: "What's up with Elon's hair?" while a fourth theorised: "He couldn't even be bothered to comb his hair."
The ceremony saw Trump present Musk with the National Medal of Science, an award critics have called a vanity exercise for the President to stroke the egos of his billionaire allies.
Awkward body language noted
Viewers also noticed uncomfortable body language between Musk and Trump. Musk stood in front of the clapping crowd, glancing at Trump several times but receiving little interaction in return. During the presentation, Trump handed Musk a large document, which Musk briefly showed off before Trump took it back, scowling throughout.
The President gave Musk a pat on the back, but that was the extent of the friendliness, making for an awkward watch from start to finish.
With Trump on the campaign trail for the US midterms, Musk may appear alongside him again in the coming weeks.
