Insider reveals what he believes is Elon Musk’s secret plan

A former friend of billionaire Elon Musk says the Tesla chief has a chilling plan that America should be very, very afraid of.

A former friend of billionaire Elon Musk has spoken of his fears that the Tesla and SpaceX founder has a secret plan.

As chief of Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Mr Musk now has almost unchecked authority to gut the federal budget. What’s more, in a space of just two months, Mr Musk has met with world leaders and has cut thousands of jobs.

The power he holds is enormous.

Founder and CEO of brain monitoring company, NeuroVigil, Dr Philip Low was friends with Elon Musk for a decade before it all went sour. Mr Low has spoken to Sunday night’s 60 Minutes program, voicing his concern about what the South African entrepreneur could do with this new-found power.

Mr Low, who first met Mr Musk in 2011, said they were good friends and business partners for more than 10 years. Initially, they partied hard and Mr Low recalls Mr Musk as being “fun”.

“We were busy building the future and we had all kinds of weird antics as well,” Mr Low explained.

“We went once to a cemetery in Los Angeles, just to watch a movie together, you know (laughs) we did, we did some funny things. So it was a wild time, but we were both working very, very hard. And we, you know, we grew to be quite close.”

Elon Musk has a lot of power. Picture: Brendan Smialowski/AFP

But their relationship would turn toxic when Mr Musk formed a rival neurotechnology company and by 2017, and it was then that Mr Low says his friend began acting strangely.

“I felt he wasn’t treating other people well. I noticed a change in his demeanour.

“He was being aggressive with people who had his best interest at heart. Not with me, but I

noticed him do that with a number of people.

“And I felt that as a friend, I wouldn’t be in his corner if I didn’t call him out on it. So I did. And he acknowledged that, that I did that. But he didn’t change his behaviour, and it got worse and worse during Covid.”

Philip Low has spoken about his former friend Elon Musk. Picture: 60 Minutes

He said Mr Musk was “fun”. Picture: 60 Minutes

Mr Low claims Mr Musk then began making moves to undermine his business.

“And when I realised that he was doing this, then I realised we were at war.”

Now that his former friend has a position of power in the White House, Mr Low fears he has an ulterior motive. One that will boost his profits and his power.

Does Musk have an ulterior motive? Picture: Brendan Smialowski/AFP

“They’re parading that he’s saving taxpayers money. What he’s actually doing is he is defunding organisations that regulate his companies.

“So he is weakening the people who would’ve weakened him.”

Elon Musk leaves the stage holding a chainsaw after speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference on February 20, 2025. Picture: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/AFP

He says of Mr Musk’s claim that he’s fighting for American taxpayers: “Respectfully. I say that’s bulls**t. And just like when he calls himself a free speech absolutist, when he clearly is boosting certain voices on X, including his own and shadow-banning others, relatively speaking. So, no, I know him too well to understand that this is a charade.”

Things turned sour between the friends. Picture: 60 Minutes

In happier times together. Picture: 60 Minutes

Instead, he believes Mr Musk has an ulterior motive.

“My fear is that he is using, that he’s manipulating President Trump to tear up the constitution until he will tear up President Trump.”

Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk outside the White House. Picture: Mandel Ngan/AFP

He went on to explain: “His playbook, unfortunately, seems to be to acquire and consolidate power at all costs … I think that there is a power struggle right now between President Trump and Elon Musk. And I only say that because I’ve seen Elon at work when he wants something.

“I know what he’s capable of. So that is why I need to speak right now.”

Mr Low believes Mr Trump is aware of Mr Musk’s alleged plotting.

“I think that President Trump knows that he has an Elon problem. But he reminds me of somebody with a rabid rottweiler, you know, who tells his neighbours that he’s actually trained the rottweiler to be that aggressive because he wants to own the narrative and he doesn’t want to be upstaged by Elon.”

When it comes to how dangerous Mr Musk is, Mr Low cautioned: “Very dangerous. Very, very dangerous because the White House is Elon’s biggest investment.”

He also fears Mr Musk will go “all the way until he’s stopped”.

Originally published as Insider reveals what he believes is Elon Musk’s secret plan