Elon Musk settled in Donald Trump's cottage (9 photos)

Entrepreneur Elon Musk rented a cottage in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, from the politician after the presidential election. It is located next to the main house, which allows the entrepreneur to easily visit the president.





After the vote, which took place on November 5, Musk rented the Banyan cottage, located on the Mar-a-Lago grounds, from Trump. According to a source familiar with the estate's layout, the cottage is located several hundred feet from the main house where Trump lives.

The administration of Mar-a-Lago, which is also used as a golf club, usually bills guests on the last day of their stay, the NYT writes. This leaves Trump with the option to reduce the final bill or not charge at all. For this reason, it is unclear how much Musk will ultimately pay for his stay.

J.D. Vance, the U.S. Senator from Ohio with whom the politician was elected president, also stayed in one of the cottages at Trump's estate. J.D. Vance, the future Vice President of the United States, often visited the estate during the transition period, while issues related to the future administration were being decided.

Musk was one of the key donors to Trump's election campaign. According to the NYT, the businessman spent about $250 million on the campaign.



What Donald Trump's Florida residence looks like





Trump bought the Mar-a-Lago mansion in 1985 for about $10 million and lived there with his wife for some time. The house was built in the late twenties of the last century for a socialite and owner of General Foods, Marjorie Merriweather Post.

The architects located the estate on a coral reef, with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and a lake on the other. The first owner was inspired by Florence and Venice when designing the mansion, as the walls are covered in gold leaf, and the windows overlook the ocean. The house has 58 bedrooms, and the courtyard area is equipped with golf courses and citrus orchards.

The main facade was finished with stone slabs from the historic Villa Doria (Genoa), which required dismantling this Renaissance architectural monument. The roofing tiles, numbering about 20,000 pieces, as well as 2,200 blocks of black and white marble flooring in the lobby, living room and dining room, were brought from Cuba. The estate is especially rich in antique Spanish tiles, which were laid out in the patio and galleries.



In 1995, Trump converted the mansion into a private club that hosted wealthy guests and lavish events, including concerts by Celine Dion and Billy Joel. Trump retained much of the decor from the previous owner, such as Genoa stone and 16th-century Flemish tapestries.

But the renovations were also quite large-scale. The premises were expanded to 5,810 square meters, now there are up to 128 rooms. A 2,000-square-meter ballroom was built, with walls covered in gold leaf - this cost Trump $7 million. According to American publications, he also spent $100,000 on four gold-plated sinks - "gold everywhere you look." The library, finished in centuries-old English oak and filled with rare editions of books "that no one in the family has ever read," was converted into a bar. A swimming pool, spa, and tennis courts were built on the oceanfront.

In mid-2022, the Palm Beach estate was valued at $350 million. Today, it is under 24-hour security, and the US Secret Service uses robot dogs for surveillance.





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