Imagine a man, rich and famous but always presenting as emotionally empty, needing more and more, so thirsty for attention that he spouts outrageous stuff because the antipathy it provokes from critics is as valuable to him as the admiration he draws from his fans.

Is that Donald Trump? Or Elon Musk?

Sorry – trick question. It's both.

So it was completely predictable that these toxic twins would unite in the 2024 presidential election. An alliance serves their most rapacious appetites.

Trump covets critics-turned-converts. Musk craves being at the center of the conversation.

The Wall Street Journal broke the news last Monday, during the first day of the Republican National Convention, that Musk was telling people he would commit about $45 million per month to a new super PAC founded and funded in May by other tech oligarchs.

It was exactly the kind of splashy, insert-yourself-into-the-news-cycle sort of spectacle that Musk thrives on. But a word of caution here for Trump: Wait till Musk's check clears before you really celebrate his generosity.

Musk, who bought his way into electric car manufacturer Tesla and then purchased the social media site previously know as Twitter, has a penchant for making big promises. His record on follow-through is spotty.

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