Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, known for juggling multiple high-profile ventures, has reportedly installed a massive television in his White House office to indulge in his lifelong passion for video gaming. This revelation comes as Musk spearheads drastic federal budget cuts in his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a position he was entrusted with by President Donald Trump.
Despite managing six companies and raising 14 children, Musk appears to have carved out time for his gaming habit. According to Politico, the television was procured on his orders for his office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which serves as the headquarters for DOGE. His appointment has been met with both praise and controversy, as his team has aggressively dismantled government agencies and laid off thousands of career civil servants, all while gaining access to vast amounts of American citizens’ personal data.
Beyond his business empire, Musk has long been an active member of the gaming community. His gaming prowess is a point of pride among his predominantly male online fan base, and he has frequently shared gameplay clips with his 219 million followers on X, the social media platform he acquired in 2022. His name even appears on global leaderboards for some of his favorite games.
However, skepticism has emerged regarding the authenticity of Musk’s gaming achievements. During the week of Trump’s inauguration, Musk hosted a livestream playing Path of Exile 2, an action RPG, and made a point of emphasizing that he was tackling the game’s highest difficulty mode.
“This is max difficulty on Hardcore. If there’s a way to get higher difficulty, I don’t know what it is. This is everything maxed out,” Musk confidently told viewers.
Despite his claims, veteran gamers were unimpressed. Observers noted that Musk’s gameplay resembled that of a novice, sparking speculation that he may not have personally leveled up his character. A YouTube gamer known as Cynicalex even wagered that Musk had not advanced his character from level 1 to 90 on his own.
The controversy escalated when players discovered that Musk’s Path of Exile account had been active at times when he was visibly attending official White House events. In one particularly damning instance, screenshots showed Musk standing behind Trump at the inauguration while his game account appeared to be progressing in the Sulphuric Caverns. This led to widespread accusations that Musk may have hired someone to play for him—a cardinal sin in gaming circles.
Despite the backlash, Musk continues to receive unwavering support from President Trump. This week, Trump praised him for doing a “fantastic job” in restructuring the government, even as Tesla faces a growing global boycott that has reportedly cost Musk an estimated $100 billion in net worth since the start of the year.
While Musk’s fans defend his ability to multitask, critics argue that his gaming habits raise questions about his priorities. With federal agencies being gutted under his leadership and millions of dollars in government spending under review, many are left wondering: should the man responsible for slashing federal budgets really be spending his time leveling up in Path of Exile?
