Elon Musk Dramatically Ages Himself With Patchy Gray Beard In New Oval Office Snaps

Elon Musk may constantly be reaching new levels of immature with his antics online, but did you know that the controversial CEO is actually turning 54 next month? Musk often behaves like a teenager, but if his new look is any indication, he could be turning over a new, more age-appropriate leaf.

Musk may love getting his hands into U.S. politics, but he is originally from South Africa. As such, he joined Donald Trump in his May 21, 2025 meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. For the occasion, Musk was sporting a new look: some facial hair. And, this facial hair may have indicated why we don't typically see him growing it out. Musk's beard and mustache are particularly patchy and full of gray hairs. While plenty of folks prefer the way they look with facial hair, Musk's beard definitely makes him look a bit older. Whether or not it actually makes him look better may be besides the point. Musk seems to be attempting a rebrand, and this makeover is just one piece of the puzzle.

Before Elon Musk spent millions on Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, he seemingly thought that he and his public persona were invincible. Since Trump returned to the White House, however, Musk received something that was likely fairly new to him: a reality check. His reputation has suffered from his behavior in the public eye and his uninvited presence in the government. And, this has affected more than just Musk's ego; it's also affected his wallet. 

Tesla's stock plummeted as a result of his reputation, and the backlash surrounding him online has been massive. Since then, he has announced that he is shifting focus away from DOGE, the government department that was created for him to run. And, after opening his wallet to boost Trump's political dreams, Musk has now announced that when it comes to shelling out money to secure political power, "I think I've done enough" (per USA Today). "I think in terms of political spending, I'm going to do a lot less in the future," he said at Bloomberg News' Qatar Economic Forum. He didn't directly answer if the criticisms he's received play a part as to why.

Steamrolling his way into political power clearly didn't go quite how Musk expected. As a result, he appears to be doing some serious backtracking, presumably hoping to undo the damage that has been done. A big part of undoing said damage will need to be rebranding himself. Will a scraggly beard do the trick? No. But, Musk may think it's worth a shot.