FirstFT: Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s feud erupts over tax invoice

Good morning, completely happy Friday and welcome again to FirstFT Asia. In at the moment’s e-newsletter:

• The Trump-Musk alliance collapses

• US and China comply with new commerce talks

• Contained in the rise of Akio Toyoda

Donald Trump has attacked Elon Musk as “crazy” and threatened to tear up his authorities contracts. Right here’s what to know concerning the feud between two of the world’s strongest males.

Disagreement: Talking within the Oval Workplace yesterday, Trump stated he was “very disappointed” within the Tesla boss for criticising his signature tax invoice, and instructed he was making an attempt to defend his enterprise pursuits. “I took away his EV Mandate . . . and he just went CRAZY!” Trump wrote on Reality Social. Because the row deepened, Musk insinuated in a publish on X that Trump was related to the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, including: “Have a nice day, DJT!” Learn the total story.

Market response: Tesla’s market worth suffered its greatest one-day drop on file yesterday, after Trump signalled he may terminate US authorities contracts with Musk’s corporations. The Tesla sell-off reverberated by US inventory markets, with the S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite ending the session down 0.5 per cent and 0.8 per cent respectively.

Right here’s what else we’re retaining tabs on at the moment:

• Financial knowledge: Vietnam and Thailand report Could CPI inflation figures.

• India financial coverage: The Reserve Financial institution of India is extensively anticipated to reduce charges at the moment. (Reuters).

How nicely did you retain up with the information this week? Take our quiz.

5 extra high tales

1. Trump agreed with Xi Jinping to launch a brand new spherical of high-level commerce talks between the US and China because the leaders of the 2 international locations sought to ease industrial tensions which were rattling the worldwide economic system. Trump and Xi spoke on the telephone yesterday, of their first identified dialog for the reason that US president returned to the White Home.

2. Citigroup has laid off 3,500 expertise employees in mainland China as a part of the financial institution’s push to chop prices and streamline its international operations amid a broader turnaround effort. Listed here are the divisions affected.

3. EU companies are lobbying Beijing to arrange a particular channel to fast-track Chinese language approval of uncommon earth export licences for “reliable” corporations, as China’s strict controls on shipments of the vital minerals threaten provide chains worldwide. European officers have warned that their factories are prone to shutdowns owing to the Chinese language measures.

4. Bangladesh’s Muhammad Yunus has vowed to remain in energy till as late as mid-2026, regardless of rising political turmoil and calls from opponents and components of the navy handy the reins to an elected authorities sooner. The Nobel laureate, who heads an interim authorities named after final yr’s overthrow of Sheikh Hasina, is now himself dealing with accusations of clinging to energy.

5. Indonesia has launched $1.5bn of stimulus measures to spice up shopper spending, hoping to counter slowing development as falling commodity costs and commerce issues hit south-east Asia’s largest economic system. Jakarta started offering reductions on transport fares yesterday and wage subsidies for tens of millions of households for 2 months.

FT Journal

There’s no company chief fairly like Akio Toyoda. Greater than 20 individuals who know the scion of Toyota’s founding household, spoke to FT Journal on his rise — and the strains in his reign over an enormous empire.

We’re additionally studying . . . 

• Nicotine pouches: Trade leaders hope the rising recognition of merchandise corresponding to Zyn will enhance revenues. However can it save Huge Tobacco?

• Why Maga world hates Europe: Trump’s workforce is taking its US tradition battle throughout the Atlantic with implications for the western alliance.

• Builder.ai collapse: The likes of Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund and Microsoft are realising they might have backed a enterprise that largely reported synthetic revenues.

Chart of the day

Take a look at your data of how Trump’s commerce battle has truly affected import duties. These charts are all incomplete — they kind an interactive check of the Trump Taco concept. How precisely are you able to fill them in?

Take a break from the information

A 120-year-old Japanese stationery firm has launched a self-declared “micromotivation” machine — a gizmo that attaches to your pen or pencil to measure how a lot handwriting you’ve accomplished (and pit your progress towards everybody else). Leo Lewis explains the way it works, and what it says about our obsession with self-quantification.