SHOT: Trump’s billionaire backer (and shadow president) Elon Musk has gotten $154 billion richer since Election Day after dumping hundreds of millions of dollars to elect Trump…

Sen. Bernie Sanders: “Elon Musk spent $277 million to elect Donald Trump President. Since Election Day, he has become $154 billion richer. Not a bad return on his investment.”

Benzinga: “By mid-December, Musk’s fortune had jumped from $262 billion before the election to a peak of $486 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, fueled by a massive surge in Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) stock. The Washington Post reported that Tesla shares rose 70% post-election, with investors betting that Trump’s pro-business policies, deregulation efforts, and his close ties to Musk would benefit Tesla, SpaceX, and Musk’s other ventures.”

CHASER: … and watched as the money rolls in from federal contracts – including nearly $40 million just announced – while Musk and Trump freeze federal funding and try to gut consumer protection watchdogs that have turned over nearly $20 billion back to the American people.

Daily Mail: “The federal government awarded Elon Musk’s company a $38.85 million contract on Monday as the billionaire works to slash other contracts.”

New York Times: “Mr. Musk’s companies secured $13 billion in contracts over the past five years, making SpaceX, which collects most of that money, one of the biggest government contractors. There is already talk during the Trump administration of expanding these deals, particularly at the Air Force.”